<7 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


Ihroc^K 


f 


THROUGH  STORYLAND  TO  SUNSET  SEAS 


THROUGH 


STORYLAND  TO  SUNSET  SEAS 


WHAT  FOUR  PEOPLE  SAW  ON   A   JOURNEY  THROUGH 
THE  SOUTHWEST  TO  THE  PACIFIC  COAST. 

BY 

H.  S.  KNEEDLER. 


WITH      ILLUSTRATIONS, 


CINCINNATI: 
THE  A.  H.  PUGH  PRINTING  Co 

OCTOBER,  i8g8. 


COPYRIGHT,  1895,  BY   H.  S.  KNEKDLER. 


P11 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  I.— A  Parting  Look  at  New  Orleans— The  River  Scene,  Quaint  Life — 
The  "  Sunset  Limited  "—Off  for  the  Pacific  Coast— The  Bayou  des  Allemands 
and  its  Traditions — Gibson  and  the  Indian  Mounds 7 

CHAPTER  II.  — Morgan  City  and  its  Peculiar  Industries— Fort  Star,  Oneonta  Park 
and  the  Baron  Natili — Plantation  Homes  upon  the  Teche 21 

CHAPTER  III.— The  Great  Salt  Mine  of  Petit  Anse— Its  Geology  and  History— 
Where  Tabasco  Sauce  is  Made — The  Islands  of  the  Gulf  Coast — The  Prairie 
Home  of  the  Acadians — An  Ideal  Home 27 

CHAPTER  IV. — New  Iberia  and  St.  Martinsville— Ex-Lieutenant  Governor 
Mouton  and  the  Narrative  of  Early  Acadian  Occupancy— Glimpses  of  Life  in 
the  Bayou  Region  in  the  Early  Part  of  the  Century — A  Land  of  Fertile  Prom- 
ise, as  the  Settler  has  Discovered 37 

CHAPTER  V.— Traditions  of  La  Fitte,  the  Pirate  of  the  Gulf,  that  Adhere  to  the 
Region  Traversed— Exploits  about  Lafayette  and  on  the  Mermentau  and 
Calcasieu — Digging  for  Buried  Treasure — Playing  on  Popular  Credulity 4! 

CHAPTER  VI.— Crowley  and  Lake  Charles — A  Life  Romance  that  Runs  Back  to 
the  French  Rebellion  in  Canada — The  Thrifty  City  that  has  Grown  up  where 
once  the  Rio  Hondo  Claims  Excited  Interest — A  Pioneer's  Reminiscence — The 
Sulphur  Mine 47 

CHAPTER  VII. — In  the  Great  Pine  Districts  of  Western  Louisiana  and  Eastern 
Texas — The  Original  Forests  of  the  Continent — How  the  Lumber  Interests 
have  been  Developed — The  Emigration  of  an  Industry 51 

CHAPTER  VIII. — From  the  Texas  Border  to  San  Antonio — Sour  Lake — Thrifty 
Towns  upon  the  Way — A  Word  About  the  Road  You  Travel  Over — The  Busy 
Commercial  Center  of  Houston — The  Colonel  Relapses  into  Statistics 55 

CHAPTER  IX. — San  Antonio,  the  Gem  City  of  the  Southwest — Its  Ancient 
Missions — The  Alamo — In  the  Mexican  Quarter — The  Curio  Vender  Appears — 
The  Birth  of  the  Opal 61 

CHAPTER  X.— On  to  Devil's  River — The  Home  of  the  Mocking  Bird— The  Land 
of  Promise  when  Water  is  Used— The  Arid  Region 'of  the  Continent — I'lant 
Life  of  the  Plains— Sabinal  and  its  Kaoline  Deposits— Uvalde — Cline  and  its 
New  Industry — Spofford,  the  Junction  Point  for  Mexico 69 

CHAPTER  XI. — Del  Rio  and  the  Springs  of  San  Felipi — Fertility  of  the  Soil 
Demonstrated — A  Sulphur  Water — Duval  West's  Hunting  Story — Along  the 
Banks  of  the  Rio  Grande,  with  Mexico  in  Sight — Devil's  River — Santa  Rosa 
Mountains — Rarity  of  the  Atmosphere— The  Old  Stage  Routes  Across  the 
Plains — The  Great  Pecos  Bridge — A  Girl's  Intrepidity — The  Fortitude  of  a 
Mexican  Teamster 75 

CHAPTER  XII.— Roy  Bean  and  Langtry— "  The  Law  West  of  the  Pecos"- Anec- 
dotes of  an  Erratic  Jurist  in  Adapting  Law  to  the  Requirements  of  the  Fron- 
tier ;  Divorces  People.  Fines  Dead  Men  for  Carrying  Concealed  Weapons,  and 
Knows  no  Law  that  Makes  it  a  Crime  to  Kill  a  Chinaman 81 

CHAPTER  XIII.— The  Detectives  of  the  Wilderness— Where  Hold  Ups  used  to 
Occur— Silver  Mines — A  Woman's  Courage  and  Affection — Down  the  Le  Sano 
Pass — Paisano,  the  Summit  of  the  Sunset  Route,  elevation  5,082  feet — Sierra 
Blanca  and  the  Howard  Massacre 9r 


4  THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 

PAGB 

CHAPTER  XIV.— El  Paso  and  the  Ancient  Mexican  Town  of  Ciudad  Juarez— 
The  Thrilling  Early  Life  of  the  Place — Crossing  the  Plains  when  the  Apaches 
were  Raiding— The  Old  Church  and  its  Venerable  Priest — The  Smelter- 
Monuments  on  the  National  Boundary  Line 99 

CHAPTER  XV.— Across  New  Mexico— The  Mirage— Possibilities  and  Wealth  of 
the  Territory — The  Climate — Early  Court  Incident— The  Spanish  Discoverers 
—  Deming — Through  Stein's  Pass  into  Arizona — Cochise's  Head  upon  the 
Mountain  Top — Cacti  and  its  Uses — Benson,  the  Junction  Point  for  Guaymas 
and  Tombstone — Cieneta  River  Canon— Va-ls  and  its  Bat  Caves 107 

CHAPTER  XVI.— Tucson  and  the  Ancient  Mission  of  San  Xavier— A  City  with  a 
Wild  Past  and  Thrifty  Present — Warm  Valleys  where  Corn  Tassels  in  a  Month 
— The  Imposing  Church  under  the  Shadow  of  the  Rincon  Mountains — The 
Indian  School — Papago  Reservation — Lost  Civilizations  of  Arizona— The  Casa 
Grande  Ruins  and  the  Vast  Irrigating  Canals— Maricopa,  the  Junction  Point 
for  Phoenix— The  Painted  Rocks  of  the  Gila  River — A  Gila  Monster — Lost 
Mines — Yuma  and  its  History 115 

CHAPTER  XVII.— First  Glimpses  of  California— The  Colorado  Desert— Two  Hun- 
dred and  Sixty-three  Feet  Below  Sea  Level — Bubbling  Mud  Volcanoes— Salton 
and  its  Great  Salt  Sea — Nomads  of  the  Desert— Indio,  the  Vidette  of  Verdure- 
clad  California — San  Gorgonio  Pass — The  Snow  Peaks  of  San  Jacinto  and  San 
Bernardino— Some  Figures  about  California  and  a  Bit  of  History — The  Climate 
— Redlands — Riverside  and  San  Bernardino — A  Veteran  Politician 129 

CHAPTER  XVIII. — Los  Angeles,  its  Flower-embowered  Homes  and  Busy  Com- 
mercial Life — Fremont's  Ride  to  Monterey— Santa  Monica  and  its  Surf  Bath- 
ing— Soldiers'  Home  and  Ostrich  Farms — Up  the  Great  Incline  Railway  to  Mt. 
Lowe — Pasadena— Port  Los  Angeles — San  Pedro  and  the  Fair  Island  of  Santa 
Catalina — The  Growler  Feels  Badly — An  Ocean-hemmed  Paradise 143 

CHAPTER  XIX.— Up  the  Main  Line  Through  the  Tehachapi  Pass  and  the  San 
Joaquin  Valley  to  San  Francisco — The  San  Fernando  Tunnel — How  Banning 
Drove  Over  the  Line — Saugus,  the  Junction  Point  for  Santa  Barbara — The 
Soledad  Canon — A  Bit  of  Mojave  Desert — Wealth  and  Extent  of  the  Great  San 
Joaquin  Valley  — The  Wild  Flowers— Irrigation  Canals  and  Lumber  Flumes — 
Berenda  and  the  Yosemite — First  Glimpses  of  the  Bays — Looking  Out  Through 
the  Golden  Gate 155 

CHAPTER  XX.— San  Francisco— The  Story  of  a  Great  Capital's  Growth  Told  in 
Brief — The  Golden  Gate  Park — Buffaloes  and  Grizzly— Seal  Rocks  and  Sutro 
Heights — A  Vision  of  Far  Isles — An  Inspection  of  the  Curious  Sights  and  Out- 
of-the-Way  Places  of  Chinatown — The  Stores,  Artisans,  Street  Life,  Opium 
Dens,  Underground  Dives,  Theatre,  Joss  House  and  Restaurant — Pen  Picture 
of  a  Sail  About  the  Bay 167 

CHAPTER  XXL— On  the  Way  to  Portland  and  the  Columbia  River  via  the  Shasta 
Route,  with  a  Long  "Side  Trip"  to  Ogden  and  Salt  Lake — The  Valley  of  the 
Sacramento— Castle  !Crags,  Mossbrae  Falls.  Soda  Springs — The  Climb  up  the 
Mountain  and  the  Vision  of  Shasta— Over  the  Siskiyous  into  Rogue  River  Val- 
ley— Portland — Across  the  Sierras— The  Snow  Sheds  — Reno  and  the  Truckee 
River — Sink  of  the  Humboldt — Indians  by  the  Way— Ogden — Salt  Lake  and 
its  Sights 179 

CHAPTER  XXII. — Down  the  Coast  Line  to  Santa  Barbara — Stanford  University — 
The  Santa  Clara  Valley — San  Jose— Mt.  Hamilton  and  the  Lick  Observatory — 
Over  the  Narrow  Gauge  to  Santa  Cruz— The  Big  Trees  and  San  Lorenzo  River 
Canon — The  City  by  the  Sea — Monterey  and  the  Great  Del  Monte — Its  Won- 
derful Gardens  and  Drives — Paso  del  Robles  and  its  Hot  Springs — Over  the  San 
Lucia  Range  to  San  Luis  Obispo — Pacific  Coast  Railway  and  Stage  Ride — 
Pismo  Beach — Santa  Barbara  and  its  Venerable  Mission — Along  the  Surf  Line 
to  Saugus — And  the  Girl  says  "  Yes" 193 


BY   WAY   OF   INTRODUCTION. 

MOST  of  us  are  egotists — and  none  more  so  than  he  whose  pretense 
makes  him  a  good  listener.  So  all  of  us  profess,  in  a  general  way,  a 
knowledge  of  our  own  land.  Yet  few  of  us  really  do  know  any  part  of  it 
well,  and  it  is  akin  to  vanity  to  put  forth  the  claim. 

Now  this  modest  brochure  is  the  recital  of  some  of  those  things  which 
one  may  see  and  learn  on  a  trip  from  New  Orleans  to  the  Pacific  Coast  over 
the  lines  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Company.  Every  traveler  will  note  points 
of  interest  and  learn  many  new  facts  appealing  particularly  to  him  which  have 
been  overlooked  or  ignored  here.  But  when  you  grow  critical,  remember 
that  the  author  was  not  writing  merely  for  "our  set,"  nor  endeavoring  to 
supply  an  encyclopedia. 

All  this  would  be  dreadfully  dry  reading  if  put  in  the  form  of  prosaic 
narrative,  so  it  has'bsen  told  in  dialogue  to  break  the  monotony,  and  the 
characters  introduced  have  a  purpose  related  to  the  facts  which  are  sought 
to  be  brought  out.  Nor  do  the  people  go  to  bed  at  conventional  hours,  as 
in  most  well-regulated  books  of  travel ;  for  if  they  did,  the  continuity  of 
the  narrative  would  be  broken,  and,  like  the  Persian  prince  who  travels  on 
the  enchanted  carpet,  you  might  miss  much  of  interest  while  they  slept. 

The  description  takes  you  where  the  road  leads — from  the  quaint  his- 
toric city  of  New  Orleans  through  the  bayou  region  of  Louisiana,  where 
summer  lingers  and  poetry  is  the  hand-maiden  of  romance,  across  the  sugar 
and  rice  and  cotton  country,  into  the  cathedral  aisles  of  the  vast  pine 
forests.  Then  beyond,  where  the  great  plains  of  Texas  reach  to  far-off  sky 
lines,  through  quaint  towns  and  cities,  where  foreign  speech  and  manners 
mingle  with  our  Anglo-Saxon  civilization.  By  the  pillared  Canon  of  the 
Rio  Grande  the  way  leads,  and  past  the  sepulchral  cleft  which  the  Pecos  has 
worn  in  the  bosom  of  the  earth.  On  farther  yet  are  the  dim  blue  mount- 
ains and  cacti-covered,  tradition-fraught  plains  of  New  Mexico  and  Ari- 
zona ;  the  sand-girdled  Gila  and  the  implacable,  mysterious  Colorado  that 
steadfastly  rolls  to  its  union  with  the  California  Gulf.  Then  comes  the 
wonderland  of  the  Pacific  Coast — the  jeweled,  flower-begirt  valleys  and 
snow-clad  peaks  of  California ;  the  glint  of  azure  skies  and  sapphire  seas ; 
of  vine-clad  hills  and  rose-embowered  homes  amid  encircling  groves  of 
olive  and  of  orange.  Up  the  great  San  Joaquin  Valley  you  go,  and  down 
the  coast  line,  with  many  places  of  interest  on  the  way  to  claim  attention. 


6  THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 

There  is  a  tour  of  San  Francisco,  with  pen  pictures  of  its  points  of  interest ; 
a  suggestion  of  the  beauties  to  be  seen  on  a  run  up  the  valley  of  the  mad 
Sacramento ;  close  skirting  Shasta's  rugged  sides ;  the  passage  of  the  Sis- 
kiyous,  down  Rogue  River  Valley  to  Portland  and  the  majestic  Columbia. 
Then,  too,  the  story  takes  you  eastward  beyond  the  Sierras,  by  Donner's 
Lake,  the  wild  Truckee  River,  the  mysterious  sink  of  the  Humboldt,  and  to 
Ogden  and  Salt  Lake  City,  lying  close  by  the  Dead  Sea  of  America. 

The  temptation  is  to  be  discursive,  because  there  is  so  much  that  appeals- 
to  one  by  reason  of  its  novelty  and  charm.  But  if  the  writer  had  cultivated 
such  microscopic  fidelity,  this  book  would  have  been  expanded  into  many 
volumes,  and  you,  my  reader,  would  have  put  the  work  aside  until  the 
prospective  leisure  of  old  age  afforded  opportunity  to  read  it.  So,  in  spite 
of  its  shortcomings,  the  free-hand  sketch  is  better  for  our  uses,  and  if  it 
shall  serve  the  purpose  of  inducing  you  to  widen  your  mental  perspective 
by  seeing  those  things  it  suggests  and  describes  in  the  wonderland  of  our 
country,  it  shall  have  accomplished  its  purpose.  And  in  that  hope  it  goes 
forth  with  its  message. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


THROUGH  STORYLAND  TO  SUNSET  SEAS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


WHEREIN     OUR     TOURISTS     TAKE    A    PARTING    LOOK    AT    THE    CRESCENT    CITY 
AND    THEN    HIE    THEM    WESTWARD. 


P^HE  Girl  insisted  on  going  out  on  the  bow  of  They  take  a 
X      the  boat.     The  Growler  said  something  about  ft^ew^rieans 
the  fresh  spring  breeze  from  the  Gulf  and  possible 
twinges  of  rheumatism,  but  the  Girl  poohooed  it. 
The  Colonel  struck  his  umbrella  sharply 
on  the  deck  and  said,  "  Confound  it,  sir, 
you're  out  of  the  rheumatic  latitudes  now, 
sir,"  and   we  all  went  forward   to  get  a 
last  glimpse  of  the  great  yellow  river,  the 
ship-lined  levees  and  the  encircling 
city  of    the   crescent.      Spire   and 
tower  and  frowning  sugar  refineries, 
implacable    grain    elevators   and 
smoky  oil  mills,  with  their  flanking 
of   cotton  sheds   and   blanket-like 
expanse  of  roofs  beyond,  great  low- 
lying    steamers    and   pennant-be- 
decked ships  that  made  one's 
thought  run  to  far  off    seas  and 
conjured  up  visions  of  busy  spin-  its  exports  and 


NEW   ORLEANS. 


dies  in  Lowell  and  Leeds  and  Man-  more  than 
Chester,  where  the  fleece  of  southern 
fields  is  woven  into  snowy  fabrics  ; 
white  river  steamers  that  are  the 
carriers  of  commerce  on   many  a 


thousand  miles  of  swift  river  and  placid  bayou  in  the  great  Valley  of  the 
Mississippi  ;  brown-canvased  luggers  manned  by  brawny  Italians  who  ply 
their  trade  as  oyster-men  and  fishermen  upon  the  gulf,  dusky  stevedores 
who,  with  weird  song,  lighten  their  labor  and  link  the  traditions  of  far-off 
times  in  African  jungles  to  the  melody  of  to-day's  toil  as  they  roll  corpulent 


8 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  Girl  grows 
enthusiastic. 


The  Growler's 
first  growl. 


Gallant 
defense  by  the 
Colonel. 


hogsheads  of  sugar  or  bulging  bales  of  cotton — so  the  panorama  of  the 
city,  with  its  harmonious  and  incongruous  details,  blended  and  softened  by 
distance,  was  merged  into  one  composite  picture  that  grew  softer  and  fainter 
as  the  great  transfer  boat  crossed  toward  the  Algiers  shore. 

"Good-bye,  old  city,"  said  the  Girl,  radiantly.  "I  love  your  quaint  old 
streets  and  shops  and  piazza-befrilled  French  homes,  and  most  of  all  your 
French  opera  and  your  rare  abundance  of  summer  goods,  for,"  she  added, 
pensively,  "there  is  no  place  in  the  world  where  one  can  buy  so  many  and 
such  beautiful  things  for  warm  weather  wear.  Why,  the  organdies  and 
muslins  and  dimities — 

"  It's  a  great  pity  we  don't  all  wear  petticoats,"  broke  in  the  Growler, 
with  dyspeptic  irony.    "  For  my 
part  I  can't  imagine  what 
there   is   to  admire 


LOADING  COTTON  ON  THE  NEW  ORLKANS  LEVEE. 


about  the  place.     It's  as  poky  as  a  village  in  Flanders,  and  it  must  be  as 
hot  as  the  tropics  in  the  summer." 

"There  you  go  again,"  replied  the  Colonel.  "I  don't  want  to  bore  you 
with  statistics,  but  you  have  not  seen  as  much  of  this  old  city  as  I  have,  nor 
studied  it  as  closely.  Why,  confound  it,  sir,  you  find  no  end  of  fault  with 
our  English  or  Gallic  cousins  who  come  over  to  the  United  States,  make  a 
flying  trip  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco,  and  go  home  in  three  months 
to  write  a  book  upon  our  social  conditions.  But  here  you  are,  after  spend- 
ing three  days  in  a  very  cursory  inspection  of  the  city,  passing  peremptory 
judgment  upon  it.  You  have  only  seen  the  surface,  and  mighty  little  of 


A   PARTING   LOOK   AT   THE   CRESCENT   CITY. 


9 


that.  Of  course  it  gets  warm  in  summer,  but  I  can  prove  by  any  well-  Not  the  same 
regulated  thermometer  that  it  don't  get  as  hot  as  it  does  north  of  Mason 
and  Dixon's  line.  It  has  nine  months  of  the  most  delightful  weather  in  the 
world,  and  when  you  are  courting  pneumonia  every  time  you  put  your  nose 
out  of  doors,  the  balm  of  its  sunshine  and  the  ozone  of  its  breezes  would 
mean  prolonged  life  and  health  to  you.  The  New  Orleans  you  persistently 
keep  in  mind  is  the  New  Orleans  you  read  about  when  you  were  a  boy.  HOW  cities 
That  city  is  fast  disappearing — and  confound  it,  sir,  I'm  more  than  half 
sorry  it  is,  for  it  was  a  mighty  good  place  in  many  respects.  But  now 
foreign  capital  is  supplementing  local  wealth  in  building  here  the  great 

modern  metropolis  justified  by  its  loca- 
tion   and    commercial 


groy 


THE   FRENCH    MARKET. 


p  to 


importance.     Sites  for  great  commercial  centers  are  not  deliberately  chosen 
beforehand  and  cities  built  to  order. 

"They  are  the  unlocked  for  expansion  of  trade   conditions,  of  which   The  city  of 

.  to-day  is  up 

their  founders  could  ordinarily  have  no  adequate  conception,  or  are  devel-  date, 
oped  by  the  necessities  of  a  commerce  which  forced  their  location  to  some 
readily  accessible  distributing  point.  The  New  Orleans  of  your  vision  was 
a  ragged  town  of  hideously  inadequate  streets,  dilapidated  street  cars 
drawn  by  deliberately  moving  mules, — a  town  where  sanitary  conditions 
were  neglected,  where  business  was  carried  on  in  a  leisurely  fashion,  and 
people  were  content  to  do  pretty  much  as  their  fathers  and  grandfathers 
had  done.  But  the  New  Orleans  of  to-day  has  a  couple  of  hundred  miles 
of  street  paved  with  granite  from  the  hills  of  New  Hampshire  and  Massa- 
chusetts, it  has  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  electric  street  railway,  it  will  Audits 

commerce  is 

soon  have  one  of  the  most  wonderful  sewage  systems  in  the  world,  and  its  out  of  sight 
cleanliness  is  already  amply  provided  for.     Its  new  hotels  are  thoroughly 


10 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


But  its  future 
is  its  own. 


modern,  as  are  its  great  shops.  Its  musical  and  dramatic  interests  are 
catered  to  by  the  best  talent  of  the  world.  The  homes  that  have  spread  with 
wonderful  rapidity  of  late  years  over  large  areas  to  the  westward  have  con- 
verted great  districts  into  charming  places  of  residence.  Its  business  is 
with  the  whole  world.  The  railways  that  radiate  from  it  and  the  hundreds 
of  steam  and  sailing  craft  that  tie  to  its  twelve  miles  of  docks  carry  goods 
to  its  customers  all  over  the  great  Mississippi  Valley,  and  bring  their 
wealth-producing  raw  products  in  to  reship  them  to 
every  seaport  of  importance  in  the  world.  Great 
as  it  has  been  in  the  past,  it  will  be  greater  in 


A  CITY   OF  THE   DEAD   IN  NEW  ORLEANS. 


Why  we  of  the 
North  like  it. 


the  future,  for  now  it  links  with  its  traditions  of  chivalry  and  hospitality, 
and  to  the  romance  of  its  history,  all  the  spirit  and  enterprise  that  modern 
methods  and  accumulating  wealth  hold  forth  as  an  incentive  to  progress  in 
industry  and  comfort  in  living.  It  will  be  more  potent  in  the  years  to  come 
than  it  has  been  in  the  past,  for  it  appeals  both  to  the  investor,  the  man  of 
affairs  who  has  the  foresight  to  see  its  expanding  opportunities  for  wealth- 
getting,  and  to  the  pleasure  seeker  of  the  North  who  flies  to  it  to  discover 
in  its  cosmopolitan  life  and  Latin  graces  the  relaxation  he  needs,  and  finds 
here,  too,  the  invigoration  of  a  climate  as  seductive  as  the  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean.  Tired  of  the  rigor  of  those  merciless  northern  winters,  the 
tourist  will  come  here  in  increasing  numbers,  to  find  in  this  delightful  city, 
with  its  historic  and  romantic  memories,  or  along  the  pine-fringed,  island- 


A   PARTING   LOOK   AT   THE   CRESCENT   CITY. 


11 


girdled  gulf  coast,  the  surcease  from  physical  discomfort   which  a  snow- 
mantled,  blizzard-invested  northern  climate  implies.     Why — " 

The  Colonel  had  forgotten  how  closely  the  transfer  had  been  getting  to   Almost  shaken 
the  Algiers  shore  while  he  talked,  and  just  at  this  point,  as  its  broad  prow  c 
swung  against  the  dock  head,  he  was  almost  jostled  off  his  feet.     I  steadied 
him  and  said  : 

"  I'm  with  you,  in  all  you  say,  my  dear  Colonel,  and  you  haven't  put  it  a 
jot  too  strongly.     It's  the  only  city  in  the  Union 
that  isn't  like  every  other  city,  and  I 
hope  that  it  will  never  get  so  _^s  •  V$\j 

big  or  so  modern 
that  it  will  lose 
its  distinctive 


THE  FRENCH  QUARTER  OF  NKW  ORLEANS. 


characteristics.    If  its  French  quarter  is  ever  abolished  and  its  old  shops  Likes  the  old 
wiped  out,  its  Cathedral  modernized  and  its  picturesque  population  smoothed 
and  smothered  by  the  process  of  assimilation,  I'll  stop  running  down  here 
for  a  month  every  winter,  and  not  even  the  gaiety  and  glamor  of  Mardi 
Gras  shall  tempt  me." 

"Yes,  you  will,"  replied  the  Girl,  emphatically;   "you  would  keep  on   Ah!  a  tender 
coming  just  the  same,  and  continue  to  bore  us  as  usual  by  persistently 
singing  the  praises  of  its  oysters  and  fish  and  gumbo." 

"  Have  no  alarm,"  said  the  Growler,  who  seemed  determined  to  have  the 
last  word  ;  "  the  charming  results  of  assimilation  will  have  no  perceptible 
effect,  young  man,  upon  the  characteristic  elements  of  the  population  which 
you  admire.  In  a  hundred  years  from  now  your  alleged  picturesque  darkey 


12 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  pessimist 
refuses  to  be 
downed. 


The  "Sunset 
Limited  " 
awaited  them. 


For  the  first 
time  the  ladies 
have  a  loung- 
ing parlor  of 
their  own. 


will  be  as  careless  of  to-morrow,  and  every  whit  as  ragged  and  vocal,  and 
your  Italian  fisherman  will  wear  the  same  blue  shirt  and  red  bandanna,  live 
on  the  same  diet  of  claret  and  hard  bread,  and  return  to  his  beloved  Italy 
with  his  savings,  as  he  does  now  ;  and  if  you  are  here  at  that  time  to  prowl 

to  buy  rickety  old  furniture,  moth- 
I  doubt  not  you  will  be  the  object 
voraciously  await  the  unwary." 
but  he  didn't  have  time.     The  big 


about  your  old  shops  and  continue 
eaten  hangings  and  cracked  china, 
of  attack  by  the  same  fleas  that  now 

The  Colonel  was  about  to  reply, 
boat  jostled  into  her  berth,  the 
our  luggage  and  started  for  the 
awaiting  to  bear  us  toward  the  far 
at  night. 

On  the  track,  awaiting  us,  stood 
solid  vestibuled  train  of  Pullman 
ers  the  2,489  miles  between  New 
seventy-five  hours.      "  You    must 
the  world,"  the  Colonel  had  said, 
length.       Back    of    the    massive, 
tion   car — a    baggage    com- 
bath-room  and  toilet  acces 
in   the  center,   and 
ing-room    in   the  rear 
was  in  quartered  oak, 
fawn -colored    plush, 
invited  to  restfulness, 
desk  equipped  with  all 
tempted  one  to  pursue 

,,,  ,  THE   LEE    MONUMENT    IN    NEW  ., 

ence.      1  h rough  the  ORLEANS.  vestibule    we    stepped 

into  the  Ladies'  parlor,  the  whole  width  of  the  compartment  car,  the 
forward  apartment  of  which  was  a  commodious  lounging-room  for  the  use 
of  ladies,  who  thus,  for  the  first  time  on  any  railway,  enjoy  the  same  priv- 
ileges as  the  men.  The  windows  at  the  sides  are  of  plate  glass,  so  generous 
in  size  that  no  part  of  the  fleeting  landscape  is  obscured.  The  great  com- 
fortable chairs,  like  the  hangings  and  curtains,  were  upholstered  in  slate- 
green  plush  ;  the  woodwork  of  the  car  was  in  rich  vermilion  wood,  trop- 
ically soft  and  warm  in  its  coloring.  Seven  drawing-rooms  followed,  each 
capable  of  occupancy  singly  or  en  suite ;  each  complete  in  itself.  In  these 
the  harmonious  colors  of  the  blue,  olive  and  maroon  plush  harmonized 
with  the  mahogany,  vermilion  and  curly  walnut  of  the  wood  finish.  Still 
beyond  these  were  ample  toilet-rooms.  Then  through  two  sumptuous  ten- 
section  sleeping  cars  we  went.  Each  of  these  had  double  drawing-rooms, 
together  with  smoking  compartments  and  toilet-rooms  for  gentlemen  and 


gates  were  opened,  we  all  seized 
train  that  seemed  to  be  impatiently 
off  sea  where  the  sun  goes  to  rest 

the  splendid  "Sunset  Limited,"  the 
cars,  which,  in  its  swift  flight,  cov- 
Orleans    and    San    Francisco    in 
see  the  finest  up-to-date  train  in 
and  we  walked  through  its  entire 
restless  engine  was  the  combina- 
partment  in  front,  barber  shop, 
sories  with  luxurious  fittings 
smoking   and    loung- 
end.      The   woodwork 
the    upholstering    in 
Wide   wicker    chairs 
while    a    commodious 
epistolary    accessories 
neglected  correspond- 


A   PARTING   LOOK   AT   THE   CRESCENT   CITY. 


13 


saloon  and  toilets  for  ladies.  The  bodies  of  the  cars  were  in  vermilion 
wood  and  fawn-colored  plush  ;  the  drawing-rooms  in  red  plush  with  white 
mahogany  wood  work.  Last  of  all  was  the  dining  car  in  quartered  oak, 
with  individual  chairs  at  the  mahogany  tables,  potted  plants  in  artistic 
alcoves,  and  a  sheen  of  snowy  linen,  glistening  silver  and  cut-glass  every- 
where. 

"This  train,"  said  the  Girl,  with  a  little  gasp  of  delight  as  she  settled  TheGiri 

speaks  her 

herself,  "is  certainly  the   exemplification  of   all  that  is  the  outgrowth  of  mind  about  the 
modern  luxury.     The  Wilton  carpets  one  treads,  the  artistic  folds  of  the  train, 
draperies,  the  satiny  finish  of  rare  woods,  the  polish  of  the  brass  and  silver, 
the  bevel  of  the  plate  glass  windows — all  the  little  things  that  satisfy  one's 
esthetic  sense  as  well  as  the  greater  that  minister  to  one's  comfort — from  the 
harmony  of  color  that  pleases  the  eye  to  the  menu  that  satisfies  the  palate, 


THE  CYPRESS  SWAMP. 


and  the  setting  apart  of  a  drawing-room  that  gratifies  the  vanity  and  minis- 
ters to  the  comfort  of  womankind — all  contribute  to  the  pleasure  of  the 
transcontinental  tourist  by  the  Sunset  Route.  And  while  you  men  are 
getting  shaved  in  your  wheeled  barber  shop  or  lounging  in  your  smoking- 
room,  we  women  now  have  a  drawing-room  all  our  own,  wherein  we  can 
peruse  a  well-selected  library,  pursue  our  music,  or  write  our  letters  on  the 
daintiest  of  stationery  furnished  by  the  Southern  Pacific  Company  at  escri- 
toires so  adjusted  that  the  oscillation  of  the  train  cannot  affect  them.  It's 


THROUGH     STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Settling  for  the 
journey. 


an  affluent  home  on  wheels,  that's  what  it  is,  and   I  predict  the  ladies  will 
show  their  appreciation  of  the  delicate  compliment  paid  them." 

The  wise  traveler,  with  a  long  journey  in  prospect,  settles  himself  in  his 
car  as  soon  after  he  gets  into  it  as  possible.  Taking  possession  of  his  own 
berth,  he  disposes  his  belongings  about  him  with  a  view  to  having  available 
those  in  most  demand.  The  Colonel,  who  sat  with  the  Girl  on  the  right, 
arranged  his  luggage  as  the  porter  brought  it  in.  His  walking  stick  and 
umbrella,  his  small  traveling  case  with  toilet  accessories,  and  his  corpulent 
leather  grip  were  put  out  of  the  way.  Then  he  laid  a  time  table  and  a  few 
pocket  maps  and  a  book  or  two  carefully  on  the  seat  beside  him.  The  Girl 
had  tucked  back  a  stray  lock  or  two  that  the  river  breeze  had  playfully 
disengaged,  adjusted  her  jaunty  hat,  smoothed  out  her  gloves  and  composed 
herself  bv  the  window.  The  Growler  and 


He  didn't  need 
much  baggage 
then. 


OLD    LOUISIANA    PLANTATION    HOMKS. 


I   had  the 
seats  oppo- 
site, and  when 
the  train  started  the 
former  was  remark- 
ing that  no  one  had 
any  business  to  travel 
with  as  much  luggage 

as  I  had,  tho'  there  were  only  two  grips,  an  umbrella,  a  portable  camera, 
an  overcoat  and  a  few  minor  articles. 

"  I've  traveled  across  this  country  with  nothing  but  a  blanket,  a  rifle  and 
a  frying  pan,  before  the  railroad  was  built,"  he  remarked. 

"You've  added   to  your  equipage  of    late  years,"   I   replied,   glancing 
scornfully  at  the  numerous  satchels  which  now  accompanied  him. 

The  long  train  was  moving  swiftly  out  of  the  yards,  past  the  big  shop 
with  its  oval  front  mantled  in  clinging  ivy,  jolting  over  switches  and  hurrying 


A   PARTING   LOOK   AT   NEW   ORLEANS. 


15 


Bayou. 


by  long  lines  of  freight  cars.     Now  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  elevators,  off  for  the 
the  river  with  its  double  fringe  of  shipping,  and  the  dark  masses  of  the  city  S 
beyond.     The  picture  is  but  for  a  moment  and  the  train  rattles  through 
Gretna,  and  in  a  little  time  is  in  a  path  cut  through  the  great  cypress  for- 
ests.    Here  the  foliage  luxuriates  and  runs  riot.     The  trees  are  draped  in 
the  long,  silvery  Spanish  moss;  vines  twine  like  interminable  serpents  and  The  German 
swing  from  limb  to  limb;  the  ground  is  carpeted  with  a  thousand  shrubs. 
Now  and  again  it  opens  into  meadowy  vistas  where  the  succulent  grasses 
seem  to  invite  to  fat  pasturage.     Presently  the  train  is  crossing  a  bridge, 
and  to  the  right  and  left  the  windings  of  a  deep  waterway  sinuously  lead 
into  the  distance.     There  are  overhanging  trees  and  boats  moored  to  the 
shore,  and  a  darkey  is  pensively  fishing. 

"The  Bayou  des  Allemands,"  remarked  the  Growler.     "I  once  met  a 
most  interesting  character  when  I  was  exploring  on  this  stream  some  years 


ago  —  old  Felix  Roux,  an  Acadian  hunter  and  fisherman,  a  man  who  has 
lived  his  life  close  to  Nature  and  as  much  away  from  the  haunts  of  men  as 
possible.  He  knows  every  voice  of  the  forest  and  every  denizen  of  the 
water,  and  is  himself  known  throughout  all  this  region.  He  has  never  had 
a  photograph  taken,  and  if  you  could  get  a  shot  at  him  with  your  camera  it 
would  be  worth  a  hundred  such  things  as  you  will  snap  it  on." 

"A  very  interesting  region  this,  too,"  chimed  in  the  Colonel;  "we  will   Premonitions 

,......,.  of  the  I^and  of 

soon  be  m  the  land  of  the  Acadians,  and  when  we  are  I  shall  tell  you  of  theAcadians. 
some  I  know." 

"Oh,  I  want  to  know  all  about  them,"  said  the  Girl.     "I've  re-read 


16 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET  SEAS. 


He  calls 

"  Evangeline' 

a  chestnut. 


The  exploits 
of  an  early 
Napoleon  of 
finance. 


Evangeline  specially  in  preparation  for  this  part  of  the  trip,  and  I  want  to 
learn  all  about  those  dear  romantic  people." 

"Heaven  preserve  us  from  that  threadbare  story!"  said  the  Growler. 
"  If  ever  there  was  a  chestnut,  that  is.  One  can't  mention  the  Acadians 
without  having  some  one  come  naively  to  the  fore  with  a  quotation  from 
Evangeline.  Goodness  knows,  the  people  are  interesting  enough  of  them- 
selves, both  in  their  historic  past  and  quaint  present,  without  lugging  in 
that  lachrymose  fiction." 

"You're  horrid  —  there  isn't  a  particle  of  romance  in  your  soul/'  replied 
the  Girl.     "If  it  hadn't 
been  for  Evangeline  I'd 
like  to  know  who  would 
ever  have  heard  of  the 
Acadians." 

"  To  me,"  spoke 
the  Colonel,  "tfi< 
Bavou     des 


SUGAR    HOUSES   OF    LOUISIANA. 


Allemands 
recalls  some- 
thing  of 
early  history. 
You  may, 

perchance,  remember  that  notorious  scoundrel — that  Napoleon  of  finance 
of  the  eighteenth  century — John  Law,  the  Scotch  gambler,  who,  taking 
advantage  of  the  depleted  condition  of  the  French  treasury  at  the 
beginning  of  the  reign  of  Louis  XV,  organized  the  Banque  Royale,  and, 
under  the  title  of  'the  Company  of  the  West,'  secured  a  concession  to 
control  all  the  trade  of  this  vast  Mississippi  Valley.  The  Chevalier 
d'Arensbourg,  who  had  been  aide-de-camp  to  Charles  XII  of  Sweden, 
and  who  had  entered  the  French  military  service  after  the  defeat  of  the 
Swedish  king  at  Poltava,  was  sent  to  this  country  by  Law  in  charge  of 
some  230  families  of  colonists,  principally  from  Alsace.  When  Law's 


A  PARTING   LOOK  AT  NEW   ORLEANS. 


17 


schemes  went  to  smash,  and  he  fled  from  Paris  one  stormy  December  night  But  they  staid, 

„.-..., ,  .  and  are  here 

to  and  safety  in  exile  in  Venice,  the  emigrants  were  completely  discouraged  yet. 


and  prepared  to  return  home. 


But  Bienville  induced  them  to  remain,  and 

presented  each 
family  with  a 
tract  of  land 
fronting  on  the 
river  above  New 
Orleans.  That 
part  of  the  river 
is  still  known  as 
'  La  Cote  des 
Allemands'  (the 
German  Coast), 
and  the  generic 


A  notable 
family  history. 


AN   OLD    PLANTATION    IIOMK. 


name    has   ex- 
tended   to    the 
bayou  and  to  the  other  geographical  features  of  the  country." 

"And  their  descendants  live  hereabouts  to  this  day?"  I  asked. 

"Scattered  all  through  this  section,"  replied  the  Colonel.    "The  Chevalier 
d'Arensbourg,  who  led  them  here,  was  the  head  of  a  large  and  honorable 
line  of  direct  and  collateral  descendants,  and  some  of  the  great  families  of 
Louisiana — like  the  Delhommer — trace  their  lineage  directly  back  to  him.   He  fails  into  a 
It  is  an  interesting  fact,  and  one  not  generally  known,  that  Mrs.  Lincoln,   mood"5' 
the  wife  of  Abraham   Lincoln,  was  related  to  the  family,  her 
brother  having  married  a  direct  descendent  of  the  Chevalier." 

The  Colonel  continued  to  talk  for  some  time  about  the 
old  families  of  Louisiana,  and  as  great  sugar  plantations, 
which  now  succeeded  the  cypress  forests,  were  passed,  almost 
each  one  seemed  to  recall  to  him  some  anecdote  or  historic 
incident  or  suggestive  reminiscence  which  linked  the  lovingly 
dwelt-on  past  with  the  present.  "The  old  places  have 
changed  hands."  he  said,  "  and  new  blood  and  new  methods 
have  come  in  with  the  new  conditions  which  the  war  implied. 
But  all  this  region  of  Southwest  Louisiana  is  a  fertile  garden 
and  in  the  near  future  every  acre  of  it  will  be  under  tillage. 
Down  along  the  border  of  the  gulf  between  the  Mississippi 
and  the  Sabine  rivers  there  is  perhaps  five  thousand  square 
miles  of  sea  marsh.  It  is  largely  subject  to  tidal  overflow,  is 
intersected  by  innumerable  bayous  and  arms  of  the  sea,  and 
is  covered  with  tall  rank  grass  from  which  rise  occasional  islands  The  wonderful 

,,.,_.  .  sweep  of  the 

of  live  oak.     It  is  the  sportsman  s  paradise,  and  Jack  there  (the  Colonel  seamarsh. 


OLD  PLANTATION 
DARKEY. 


A   PARTING    LOOK   AT   NEW   ORLEANS. 


19 


glanced  at  me  affectionately)  could  find  finer  fishing  than  he  ever  dreamed   where  sport 
of  elsewhere.     Every  variety  of  fish  known  to  the  gulf  is  to  be  caught,  while   hllSdfn  hand 
bear  and  deer,  ducks  and  geese  are  to  be  had  in  abundance.     That  Kansas 
man  who  bought  a  million  acres  of  it  at  a  single  stroke,  not  long  since,  knew 
what  he  was  about,  and  he  didn't  buy  it  for  hunting  purposes,  either.     It  is 
one  of  the  finest  winter  cattle  ranges  in  the  world.     The  soil  is  incredibly 
rich,  made  so  by  the  decomposition  of  marine  shells,  dead  fish  and  the  salt 
overflows  of  the  gulf.     In  the  years  to  come  the  oyster,  terrapin  and  shrimp 
industries  will  make  the  whole  coast  of  incalculable  value,  and  give  profit-   The  same  as 
able  employment  to  thousands  of  men  as  it  now  does  in  Maryland  and  other  ] 
points." 

"Ah,  those  terrapin  !"  said  the  Growler,  musingly,  his  face  relaxing  into 
something  like  a  smile. 

"  Not  the  genuine  diamond-backs  ?  "  I  asked,  incredulously. 

"The  same,"  responded  the  Growler;  "the  genuine  article,  as  you  find 

them  in    the    Delaware  and 
Chesapeake.    If  we  had  time 


and  much 
cheaper. 


THE   HRIDGK    ACROSS 


to  stop  over  at  Morgan  City  you  could  sample  some,  for  thousands  are 
shipped  from  there  annually.  Besides,  the  Baron  Natili  has  successfully 
propagated  them  in  his  artificial  ponds  near  the  depot." 

"We'll  be  there  presently,"  said  the  Girl,  who  was  consulting  a  map. 
"This  is  Gibson." 

"Gibson?"  queried  the  Growler.  "  There  are  some  remarkable  Indian 
mounds  near  Fandel's  saw  mill  over  there.  I  don't  know  much  about  arch- 
aeology, but  Dr.  Joseph  Jones,  of  New  Orleans,  has  made  an  exhaustive 
study  of  them  and  finds  them  of  great  interest." 

"  But  look  here,  Colonel,"  I  said  ;  "you  were  sidetracked  in  your  descrip- 
tion of  this  section  of  Louisiana  ;  there  is  not  much  sea  marsh  to  be  seen 
from  here." 

"No,  and  you  won't  see  any  of  it  from  the  cars,"  replied  the  Colonel, 
"it  lies  off  there  to  the  south.  The  Southern  Pacific  line  runs  through  a 
superbly  fertile  prairie  country  which,  as  you  will  see,  deepens  into  great 


Remains  of  a 
lost  race  at 
Gibson. 


20 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET  SEAS. 


it  isn't  a  desert  pine  forests  on  the  western  edge  of  the  state.     The  farms  are  given  over 
means/'          to  sugar,  cotton  and  rice,  while  corn,  oats,  potatoes,  beans,  etc.,  grow  lux- 
uriantly, as  do  all  the  semi-tropic  and  temperate  fruits.     The  resources  of 
this  country  have  attracted,  of  late  years,  thousands  of  settlers  from  the 
North,  and  tho'  I  have 


Unfortunately 
people  have  to 
work  here  too. 


AN  OT.D  HOME  ON  RAYOU  RAMOS,  NEAR  MORGAN  CITY,  LA. 

traveled  extensively  among  them,  I  have  yet  to  find  one  who  is  dissatisfied 
or  who  would  wish  to  return  to  his  old  home.  No  profitable  crop  grows 
here  without  labor — I  haven't  yet  found  the  place  where  it  does — but  I 
believe  the  rewards  of  well  directed  industry  are  larger  here,  and  the  life  of 
the  agriculturist  more  endurable,  than  in  any  other  place  in  the  Missis- 
sippi Valley." 


CHAPTER    II. 

AT    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    THE    TECHE  —  THE    NOVEL    INDUSTRIES    OF   MORGAN 
CITY THE    OLD    FORT,    ONEONTA    PARK    AND    THE    BARON. 


"G 


OMIN'  into  Morgan  City,  sah,"  said   that  prince  of   porters,  John 
Blackston. 

"So  we  are,"  remarked  the  Growler.  "By  the  way,  notice  the  old  A  Monument 
earthwork  here  on  the  left,  just  as  we  run  into  town.  It  is  known  as  Fort 
Star,  and  it  has  a  unique  place  in  history.  There  have  been  more  extensive 
and  more  important  intrenchmerits — tho'  this  is  by  no  means  small  or  unin- 
teresting. Here,  July  4,  1893,  a  great  popular  demonstration  took  place, 
the  stars  and  stripes  were  run  up  on  the  old  fort,  saluted  by  the  roar  from 
ancient  Confederate  guns  and  by  the  Washington  Artillery  of  New  Orleans. 
That  historic  and  honorable  body  performed  a  memorable  deed  that  day, 
when,  under  command  of  its  veteran  Colonel,  John  B.  Richardson,  it  rededi- 
cated  the  old  fort  to  the  age  of  peace." 

The  Girl  came  over  to  our  side  to  see  the  fort,  which  was  but  a  hundred 
yards  away — a  star-shaped  earthwork,  the  sloping  walls  rising  thirty  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  encompassing  ground. 

The  Southern  Pacific  Company  restored  the  old  works  to  their  original   A  bit  of  history 
condition  some  years  ago,  and  mounted  upon  its  walls  the  guns  from  Fort  sentiment. 
Chene,  which  was  located  eight  miles  away,  at  the  junction  of  the  bayous 
Boufe  and  Chene. 

To-day  this  is  one  of  the  few  perfect  relics  of  the  great  war.  Built  by 
the  Federal  forces  early  in  the  struggle,  it  was  in  1863  garrisoned  by  3,000 
infantry,  mostly  colored  regiments.  Late  in  that  year  Captain  Blair,  of  the 
Eighteenth  Louisiana,  brought  his  forces  across  the  river  in  sugar  coolers, 
for  want  of  better  transports,  attacked  the  town  in  the  rear  and  captured 
it.  The  garrison  took  shelter  on  the  gunboats  in  the  river  and  escaped. 
The  Confederates  soon  abandoned  the  place  and  the  Federal  forces  occupied 
it  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Then  it  was  given  over  to  decay  until  restored 
in  '93,  and  dedicated  to  the  age  of  peace  by  a  touching  ceremony  of  patri- 
otic purport. 

"What  a  beautiful  little  park,"    exclaimed  the    Girl,  rapturously,  still   she  likes  one- 
looking  out  of  the  window  on  our  side  of  the  car,  "and  see  the  steamships 
and  the  river  beyond." 

"  The  park,"  said  the  Growler,  "  is  the  creation  of  Baron  Natili,  who  has 

21 


22 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Steamer  line 
to  the  Texas 
coast. 


Of  course  you 
recognize  the 
Baron. 


charge  of  the  Southern  Pacific  and  Morgan  line  business  at  this  point. 
The  Colonel  is  an  old  personal  friend  of  the  Baron  and  can  tell  you  stories 
about  him  by  the  hour.  As  to  the  park,  it  makes  a  spot  of  beauty  in  what 
was  once  a  desert  place,  and  is  named  '  Oneonta '  in  honor  of  the  birth- 
place of  the  president  of  the  system,  C.  P.  Huntington.  Over  on  the  other 
side  of  the  track  is  a  zoological  garden.  The  steamers  you  see  at  the 
wharf  are  those  of  the  Morgan  line,  belonging  to  the  Southern  Pacific  road, 
and  running  from  here  to  Brownsville,  Texas.  Their  fleet  of  river  steamers 
and  barges  navigate  the  Teche  and  its  affluents,  and  bring  down  huge 


A   LIVE  OAK   IN   THE   TECHE. 


Atchafalaya 
River  and  Ber- 
wick Bay. 


quantities  of  sugar  and  cotton,  and  carry  in  return  the  supplies  which  the 
plantations  consume.  But  let  us  go  out  on  the  platform  for  a  few  moments. 
There  are  a  good  many  things  worth  seeing." 

When  we  alighted  from  the  car  we  found  the  Colonel,  who  had  preceded 
us,  talking  to  a  stout,  handsome,  gray-whiskered  gentleman.  They  were 
too  much  engrossed  with  each  other  to  notice  us,  and  we  strolled  to  the 
end  of  the  platform.  Before  us  was  a  splendid  body  of  water  sweeping 
majestically  under  the  long  iron  railway  bridge  on  its  stately  way  to 
the  gulf. 

"The  Atchafalaya,"  said  the  Growler,  "which  here  so  widens  that  it  is 
called  Berwick  Bay.  The  river  is  something  like  half  a  mile  wide  and  a 


THE   NOVEL   INDUSTRIES   OF   MORGAN    CITY.  23 

hundred  feet  deep  at  this  point.  Thirty  miles  below  it  empties  into  the 
gulf.  Nine  miles  above  it  receives  the  waters  of  the  Teche." 

''What  a  beautiful  plantation,"  said  the  Girl,  looking  up  the  river  to  a 
great  white  house  embowered  in  trees  and  flanked  by  a  huge  sugar  house 
and  rows  of  white  cabins  in  the  "  Quarters." 

"That  is  'Fairview,'  the  home  of  J.  N.  Pharr,"  responded  the  Growler,   some  typical 
"and  across  here,"  he  continued,  turning  to  look  down  the  stream,  "you  Lames.10' 
can  just  catch  a  glimpse  of  another  typical  place,  'Avoca' — meaning,  'the 
meeting  of  the  waters,'  for  it  stands  on  a  point  where  Bayou  Chene  enters 
Bayou  Boufe.     All  about  are  lovely  places  worthy  of  this  paradise.     The 
roads  here  are  waterways,  to  use  a  Hibernianism,  for  this  whole  section  is 
intersected    by  an    intricate   system    of   bayous, — deep,  narrow,  navigable 
streams  which  are  to  the  country  what  the  canals  are  to  Venice.     It  would   The  mystery  of 

.....  .....  ...  the  waterways. 

take  a  man  a  lifetime  to  learn  all  their  sinuous  combinations,  and  then  there 
would  be  a  few  left  over  that  he  had  not  discovered.  Capt.  T.  L.  Morse, 
who  has  command  of  the  S.  P.  fleet  here,  comes  about  as  near  knowing 
them  as  any  man  that  ever  held  a  wheel." 

"Why,  those  great  white  banks  I  have  been  looking  at  are  oyster 
shells,"  I  said,  pointing  up  to  where  huge  white  mounds  marked  the  river 
front  of  the  tow-n. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Growler,  "millions  of  the  finest  oysters  in  the  world   They  "shuck" 

,  .  ,1-1  rr-i  i  the  unresisting 

are  annually  shipped  from  the  packing  establishments  here.     1  hese  luggers  bivalve. 

tied  to  the  bank  are  engaged  in  the  trade.     The  bivalves  are  brought  from 

inexhaustible  beds  out  in  the  gulf,  a  sloop  carrying  from  125  to  250  barrels, 

which  bring  a  dollar  a  barrel  at  the  factories.     It  requires  from  a  week  to 

two  weeks  for  the  lugger  to  make  a  trip,  and  it  is  work  that  enlists  a  hardy 

set  of  men,  for  it  is  often  hazardous  as  well  as  arduous.     The  fish  industry  But  th 

is  also  an  important  one,  tho'  it  will  surprise  you  to  learn  that  very  few  of  cftlsh 

the  splendid  salt-water  fish  which  could  be  taken  here  in  infinite  variety  Profitable- toa 

and  abundance  are  in  demand.     The  humble  but  toothsome  catfish,  caught 

in  great  quantities  in  Grand  Lake,  some  thirty  miles  above,  are  shipped  to 

consumers  all  over  Texas,  Kansas,  Missouri,  Louisiana  and  Arkansas.     It  is 

an  interesting  study  for  one  to  follow  even  so  humble  an  occupation  from 

its  source  to  its  conclusion — to  see  the  primitive  fishermen  in  their  cabin 

boats  on  the  lake  hauling  in  their  seines,  the  tugs  of  the  dealers  collecting 

from  them    the    spoils   of    their   endeavor   and   towing   the   fish   down  in 

huge  floating  crates,  and  finally  to  watch  the  expert  dressers  prepare  them 

for  shipment  at  the  rate  of  one  a  minute/' 

"Skin  and  dress  a  catfish  in  a  minute?"  I  said,  incredulously. 

"In  a  minute  and  less,"  replied  the  Growler  ;  "and  these  are  not  the 
sort  of  fish  you  caught  on  your  pin-hook  when  a  boy,  either.  The  darkey  our  colored 

:,.    brother  is  at 

expert  will  seize  a  twenty-five-pound  catfish,  swing  it  up  on  a  hook,  lop  on   home  here. 


AT   THE    THRESHOLD   OF   THE   TECHE. 


25 


its  fins,  slip  its  skin  off  in  three  pieces,  and  have  it  disemboweled  and  its 
head  and  tail  chopped  off  before  the  fish  really  knows  what  is  the  matter. 
There  used  to  be  another  flourishing  industry  here  in  the  collection  and 
shipment  of  alligator  hides,  but  the  supply  is  pretty  well  exhausted  and  the 
demand  is  not  now  so  great.  At  one  time  as  many  as  thirty  thousand 
hides  were  shipped  from  here  annually.  But  there  goes  the  bell,  and  we 
had  better  get  back  in  our  car." 

"Where's  papa?"  said  the  Girl,  looking  around. 

"Oh,  he'll  take  care  of  himself,"  responded  the  Growler. 

In  fact  the  Colonel  and  his  friend  were  wringing  each  other's  hands 
affectionately.  "Take  care  of  yourself,"  the  Colonel  shouted,  as  he  swung 
himself  on  the  step.  "  Good-bye,  old  boy,  God  bless  you,"  the  gray-whis- 
kered gentleman  on  the  platform  responded  enthusiastically,  waving  his 
hat. 

"A  most  royal  gentleman,"  quoth  the  Colonel  radiantly,  as  he  sat  down. 
"A  man  among  a  million — a  scholar  with  the  soul  of 
an  artist,  the  courtesy  of  a  Chesterfield,  of  infinite  wit 
and   resource,   and    unfailing    industry  in    setting    the 
world  a  lesson  of  the  best  companionship." 

"  Who  was  it,  .Colonel  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Randolph  Natili,"  was  the  response;  "by  unani- 
mous consent  and  deservedly  dubbed  'The  Baron,' 
who,  for  seventeen  years,  has  had  charge  of  the 
Morgan  Line  and  Southern  Pacific  business  at  this 
point.  Some  time  I'll  tell  you  of  the  Baron's  won- 
derful collection  of  Old  Masters  and  the  romance 
of  discovery  that  attaches  to  some  of  his  pictures,  as, 
for  instance,  to  that  one  known  as  the  Venus  Ana- 
dyomene  by  Domenico  Feti,  which  was  discovered  in  an  Italian  lodging- 
house  in  New  Orleans,  or  that  other,  a  Madonna,  believed  to  have  been  the 
last  one  painted  by  Titian,  on  the  order  of  Philip  II  of  Spain,  and  long 
lost.  And  when  I  tell  you  of  the  pictures  I'll  not  forget  to  tell  you  of 
some  of  the  pranks  the  Baron  has  played,  for  the  stories  of  his  practical 
jokes  would  fill  a  book,  and  would  be  incredible  if  they  were  narrated 
of  any  one  else  than  Randolph  Natili.  What  would  you  think,  for  instance, 
of  a  man  who  could  deceive  the  whole  city  of  New  Orleans  by  palming  off 
a  couple  of  Chinese  laundrymen  as  court  dignitaries  from  China,  and 
holding  a  popular  levee  for  them  at  the  French  Opera  House,  where 
a  performance  was  stopped  to  give  them  a  public  reception  ;  or  of  a 
man  who,  on  first  meeting  a  lady  in  her  home,  would  simulate  a  fit 
and  fall  in  her  arms,  with  apparently  just  enough  consciousness  left 
to  gurgle  an  appeal  for  champagne,  which  was  promptly  administered, 


AH  affectionate 
parting. 


Natili  owns 
some  pictures. 


THE   HAKON. 
RANDOLPH    NATILI 


But  he  will  be 
remembered 
as  the  practical 
joker. 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


A  touch  of  jeal- 
ousy, perhaps. 


This  is  the  way 
into  the  Teche 
country. 


Glimpses  in 
the  Land  of 
Romance. 


You  get  it  all  in 
this  way. 


or  to  do  any  of  a  hundred  equally  amusing  things  which  I  could  recall 
from  memory  as  the  exploits  of  this  man  who  is  beloved  by  all 
who  know  him,  who  is  equally  at  home  in  any  of  our  great  cities,  and 
whose  acquaintanceship  belts  the  globe." 

"  He's  awfully  nice  looking,"  said  the  Girl. 

"  He's  a  grandfather,"  replied  the  Growler,  with  a  grim  smile  of  satis- 
faction. 

"  So  this  is  the  way  you  go  to  get  into  the  famous  Teche,"  I  remarked 
tentatively,  to  avoid  a  clash  which  seemed  imminent  between  the  Girl  and 
the  Growler. 

"The  best  way,"  replied  the  Colonel.  "There  are  others  but  they  are 
long  and  tedious.  By  this  route  a  short  ride  of  eighty  miles  from  New 
Orleans  brings  one  to  Morgan  City,  where  steamers  can  be  taken  and  the 
trip  made  in  a  couple  of  days  with  every  concomitant  of  comfort.  Leaving 
out  all  the  element  of  poetic  romance,  with  which  Longfellow  has  environed 
this  waterway,  it  is  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  outings  imaginable,  and  the 
tourist  who  fails  to  take  it  when  he  gets  as  far  as  New  Orleans  does  himself 
a  serious  injustice.  The  Teche  country  is  'The  Sugar  Bowl '  of  Louisiana. 
Past  the  beautiful  old  towns  of  Pattersonville,  Franklin,  Jeanerette,  New 
Iberia  and  St.  Martinville,  it  takes  its  way — a  deep  and  narrow  bayou — 
lined  with  splendid  plantations,  great  manorial  homes,  quaint  negro  quar- 
ters, huge  sugar  houses.  Here  and  there  it  is  spanned  with  odd  wooden 
bridges  which  are  swung  back  by  hand  to  give  passage  to  the  steamer.  The 
live  oaks  almost  meet  overhead  at  times,  and  the  boat  brushes  the  foliage 
on  the  banks  as  it  passes.  Here  and  there  wide  cane  fields  stretch  out  as 
far  as  one  can  see,  or  vistas  intervene  where  pensive  cattle  graze  in  wood- 
environed  meadows.  If  your  captain  happens  to  be  a  man  like  Capt.  R.  H. 
Allen,  a  veteran  in  the  service,  he  will  invest  every  mile  of  the  trip  with 
interest  by  pointing  out  some  feature  of  historic  or  romantic  note,  and  the 
novelty  and  charm  of  the  journey  will  be  recalled  with  gusto  for  years  to 
come." 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    SALT    MINE    OF    PETIT    ANSE    AND    THE     PROBLEMS    IT    HAS   CONFRONTED 
SCIENCE    WITH  —  A    BIT    OF    HISTORY    AND    A    GLIMPSE    OF    PARADISE. 


I 


WISH,"  said  the  Colonel  meditatively,  "we  had  time  to  drop  off  at  Newibenaand 

•K.T          TI        •  ^.u          1^       •        »  the  salt  mine. 

New  Iberia  and  run  over  to  the  salt  mine. 

"  Never  went  through  before  without  doing  it,"  said  the  Growler.  "  Ah, 
there  is  your  traditional  Southern  home  —  the  best  of  its  famous  class  — 
where  wealth  is  the  companion  of  culture,  and  hospitality  is  gilded  by  every 
refinement  of  good  taste.  Talk  about  your  perfect  places  of  abode  —  well, 
it  is  complete." 

"  I  have  heard  papa  talk  about  it  so  often,"  said  the  Girl,  "  but  it  seemed 
so  far  away  I  never  paid  much  attention  to  it ;  now  I  want  to  know  all 
about  it." 

"You'll  never  know  all  about  it  until  you  go  there,"  responded  the 
Growler.  "This  is  a  case  where  words  are  inadequate  to  do  the  subject 
justice." 

"Well,  tell  me  about  the  salt  mine,  anyhow,  Colonel,"  I  ventured. 

"Avery's  Island,  or  Petit  Anse,  meaning  '  Little  Goose,'  as  it  was  origin-   petit Anse and 

...  ,  ...       the  other  coast 

ally  called,     responded  the  Colonel,  after  some  moments  of  thought,  "  is  islands, 
one  of  five  so-called   islands   upon  the  gulf  coast,  south  of  New  Iberia. 
They  are  not  now  islands  in  the  present  sense,  but  rather  knolls  that  rise 
from  the  level  of  the  surrounding  marshes.     On  the  other  hand,  they  are 
indeed  such,  from  the  fact  that  they  are  surrounded  by  narrow  bayous. 
Belle  Isle,  Cote  Blanche,  Weeks,  and  Jefferson's,  or  Orange  Island,  are  the 
others  of  the  group.     Their  geology  is  peculiar,  but  Avery's  is  the  most 
remarkable  of  the  five.     I  have  its  history  from  Capt.  Dudley  Avery,  the 
present  owner,  whose  family  has  held  possession  of  it  for  three  genera- 
tions.    Under  Spanish  grants  running  back  to  1765  it  was  originally  par- 
celled out  to  a  number  of  holders.     After  the  early  French  voyageurs  came  Here's  its 
the  Acadians,  and  later  the  Spanish  settlers  from  the   Iberian   peninsula.    nrst°timeande 
On  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  New  Jersey  in  the  beginning  of  the  century,  "8" 

John  C.  Marsh,  the  grandfather  of  the  present  owner,  came  south  with  his 
slaves.  He  bought  out  John  Hayes,  who  was  the  first  actual  settler,  having 
located  on  the  island  in  1791,  and  Jesse  McCall.  Mr.  Marsh  at  once  began 
clearing  up  a  plantation,  for  at  that  time  the  entire  island  was  heavily 
wooded.  Salt  springs  were  known  to  exist  before  then,  the  discovery 

37 


28  THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET  SEAS. 

Howthesait      having  been  made  by  John  Hayes  in   179=5.     At   that  time  Hayes  was  a 

cameto  be  first  .   ,      ,. 

discovered.  youth  living  with  his  mother,  who  was  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  ancestry. 
Young  Hayes  made  his  discovery  by  accident.  He  had  been  out  hunting, 
had  killed  a  fine  buck,  and  was  carrying  it  home  on  his  shoulders.  The 
day  was  warm,  and  when  he  came  to  a  clear,  beautiful  spring  under  a  great 
oak,  he  threw  the  deer  up  in  the  forks  of  a  tree  and  stooped  to  get  a  drink. 
He  was  chagrined  to  find  the  water  intensely  salt.  When  he  reached 
home  he  told  his  mother  of  the  incident.  Now  salt  was  a  very  scarce  com- 
modity in  those  days,  and  the  old  lady  shrewdly  realized  that  the  saline 
it's  a  fluid  might  be  made  available  for  domestic  use.  She  accordingly  dis- 

thuigto  patched  the  boy  for  a  jug  full  of  the  water,  boiled  it  down  and  obtained  the 

depend  upon  T          .   .  ....  .  . 

water  as  a          salt.     In  this  way  the  family  continued  to  get  their  suppiy  of  the  article. 

see?ra?  Mr.  Marsh  pursued  the  practice  after  he  obtained  possession,  and  during  the 

War  of  1812-14  wells  some  twelve  or  sixteen  feet  deep  were  sunk  and  the 
water  boiled.  The  planter  continued  this  primitive  practice  until  1828,  all 
the  time  clearing  the  land  and  cultivating  sugar  cane.  In  the  year  men- 
tioned the  price  of  salt  was  so  low  and  the  difficulty  of  getting  it  to  market 
from  the  island  so  great  that  it  did  not  pay  to  manufacture  it,  and  opera- 


SCKNK    ON    THK   TECHE. 


tions  were  abandoned.  The  existence  of  the  salt  wells  became  almost  a 
saitwas  worth  tradition  until  1861,  when  the  price  of  salt  was  $11.00  a  barrel  in  New 
Orleans.  In  December  of  that  year  John  A  very,  a  brother  of  Capt.  Avery, 
and  then  a  youth  of  seventeen,  asked  his  father  to  allow  him  to  repair  the 
old  kettles  and  begin  again  the  manufacture  of  salt.  The  request  was  wil- 
lingly granted,  and  the  boy  soon  had  his  crude  plant  in  operation.  He  was 
able  to  make  ten  barrels  per  day,  and  could  sell  it  readily  on  the  ground 
for  $9.00  per  barrel.  The  profits  were  tempting,  and  young  Avery  was 


THE   SALT   MINE   OF   PETIT   ANSE. 


29 


fired  with  an  ambition  to  increase  his  output.     So  he  took  the  kettles  from  The  ancient 
an  old  sugar  house  and  set  up  a  much  larger  plant.    But  he  then  discovered  the  front  at  • 
that  his  capacity  was  greater  than  the  supply  of  brine ;   the  flow  of  the  momlnt. 
spring  was  not  sufficient  to  keep  the  kettles  going.    At  this  juncture  an  old 
darkey,  Bill  Odell,  who  had  been  one  of  the  original  slaves  brought  by  Mr. 
Marsh  from  New  Jersey,  and  who  lived  until  about  1892,  came  forward  and 
related  that  there  had  once  been  another  well,  at  the  bottom  of  which  a 
pork  barrel  had  been  sunk  as  a  curbing.     The  well  had  been  filled  up  years 
before,  but  Bill  remembered  the  place  and  pointed  it  out.     On  digging  at 

the  spot  the  old  barrel  was  discovered  as 
the  ancient  slave  had  predicted,  but  the 
well  was  dry.    Young  A  very  determined 
to  go  deeper  in  the  hope 


LOOKING    DOWN    THK    BAYOU   TECHK. 


of  striking  the  flow  of  water,  and  while  so  engaged,  at  a  depth  of  about   Thegreat 
sixteen  feet,  one  of  the  workmen  reported  that  he  had  struck  a  stump  that  laid  bare, 
covered  the  entire  bottom  of  the  well.     Mr.  A  very  himself  went  down,  and 
with  a  pick  managed  to  dislodge  a  piece  of  the  '  stump,'  which,  when  he 
took  it  to  the  surface  and  washed  it,  proved  to  be  pure  rock  salt;  so  pure, 
in  fact,  that  all  analysis  show  it  to  be  ninety-eight  per  cent  pure  chloride 
of  sodium.     Various  shafts  were  at  once  sunk  in  the  neighborhood  and  the 
great  mass  of  solid  rock-salt  uncovered  ;    the  old  process  of  evaporation 
was  of  course  abandoned,  and  the  mining  of  the  article  begun." 

"  The  discovery  must  have  created  somewhat  of  a  sensation  when  salt 
was  so  scarce,"  I  remarked. 


30  THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 

There  were  "It  did,"  replied  the  Colonel;  "it  at  once  attracted  the  attention  of  the 

millions  111 

sight,  as  coi.  whole  country  as  the  South  was  in  great  need  of  salt,  and  as  soon  as  the 
say.  s  Confederate  government  heard  of  the  find  it  dispatched  a  special  agent, 

Major  Broadwell,  to  the  island,  and  he  negotiated  a  contract  with  L).  D. 

Avery,  the  father  of  the  present  owner,  by  which  a  certain  part  of  the 
it  was  a  property  was  set  aside  to  be  worked  by  the  Confederate  government  for  the 

bonanza  for  the 

confederacy.  supply  of  the  army.  The  several  states  were  deeply  interested,  too,  and 
Alabama,  Georgia  and  Mississippi  sent  commissioners  who  made  similar 
arrangements  that  their  people  might  be  provided  for.  A  scene  of  great 
activity  ensued.  Many  hundreds  of  men  were  at  work,  and  at  times  as 
many  as  500  wagons  loaded  with  the  product  left  the  island  in  a  day. 
Some  of  these  ox-drawn  wagons  made  long  trips  into  Texas  and  northward, 
while  a  great  deal  of  salt  was  hauled  to  the  Atchafalaya  river,  thence 

A  big  business  shipped  to  Vicksburg  by  boat  and  from  there  distributed  by  rail.     So  great 

boom  was  on  J 

at  once.  was  the  rush  that  all  else  on  the  island  was  abandoned.     A  magnificent 

crop  of  cane  was  left  uncultivated  and  uncut  in  the  fields.  The  price  was 
fixed  at  $9.00  per  barrel,  gold  basis,  and  remained  at  that  until  after  the 
close  of  the  war." 

"And  what  a  bonanza  that  would  have  been  if  the  owner  had  only 
demanded  gold  or  turned  his  Confederate  money  into  something  of  perma- 
nent value,"  said  the  Growler. 

Had  enough  "Unfortunately,  he  didn't,"  continued  the  Colonel,  "and  when  the  Con- 

stock  on  hand 
to  start  a  paper  federacy  succumbed  he  had  $3,000,000  of  this  worthless  paper  on  hand. 

In  April,  1863,  the  Hebrews  of  Houston  offered  him  a  doiiar  in  gold  for 
each  three  dollars  in  paper,  because  they  could  use  it  for  the  purchase  of 
cotton,  but  he  unfortunately  declined.  Even  2,000  bales  of  cotton,  which 
the  Confederate  government  had  given  him  in  part  payment,  and  which  was 
stored  on  the  Red  River,  was,  through  the  complicity  of  dishonest  officials, 
lost  to  him." 

"It's  a  wonder  the  Federals  didn't  try  to  capture  the  salt  works,"  said 
the  Girl. 
The  Federals  "  They  did,"  responded  the  Colonel.     "When  Banks  moved  up  the  Teche 

make  a  call  at 

the  salt  works,  in  1863  he  drove  the  Confederates  out,  and  destroyed  the  salt  works.  A 
brigade  was  sent  down  from  New  Iberia  for  that  purpose,  but  after  they  left 
repairs  were  instituted  and  the  work  went  on.  The  process  of  getting  out 
the  salt  at  that  time  was  entirely  different  than  at  the  present ;  the  deposit 
•  would  be  uncovered  over  a  space  of  thirty  or  forty  feet  square  and  the  salt 
taken  out  of  the  bottom.  Now  shafts  are  sunk  and  galleries  run  as  in  any 

Some  of  the  mine.  In  1868  a  St.  Louis  firm,  Choteau  &  Price,  took  hold  of  the  work. 
it0  They  sunk  a  shaft  and  opened  the  main  galleries  on  the  first  or  upper  level. 
Later  the  American  Salt  Co.,  of  New  York,  leased  the  property  and  worked 
the  mine  very  extensively.  They  dug  a  canal  through  the  marsh  to  the  gul' 


THE   SALT    MINE   OF   PETIT  ANSE.  31 

and  secured  the  twelve  miie  branch  of  the  Southern  Pacific,  which  had  by 
that  time  been  extended  from  Morgan  City  to  New  Iberia  and  beyond. 
Later,  under  a  royalty,  the  present  company,  Myles  &  Bro.,  of  New  Orleans, 
control  the  output  and  operate  the  property." 

"  But  isn't  the  supply  likely  to  be  exhausted  ?"  I  asked. 

"Not  during  your  lifetime,  young  man,"  the  Growler  replied,  with  a  Notiikeiyto 
tinge  of  sarcasm.     "The  deposit  is  known  to  be  half  a  mile  square,  and  has  8 
been  bored  into  to  a  depth  of   1,200  feet  without  touching  bottom.     That's 
pure,  solid  salt.     Let's  figure."     The  Growler  extracted  a  pencil  from  his 
pocket  and  looked  about  for  something  to  "  figure  "  on.     I  gave  him  a  card.   The  Growler 
"  The  salt  weighs  140  pounds  to  the  cubic  foot,"  he  began.     "  Now  suppose   fancy  figuring, 
we  say  it  is  only  800  feet  thick,  tho'  we  know  it  to  be  half  again  as  thick, 
and  it  may  be  a  mile.     But  we'll  take  half  a  mile  square  and  800  feet  deep." 
The  Growler  knit  his  brows  and  figured.     "Give  me  another  card,"  he  said 
presently.     I  handed  him  one  and  he  labored  for  a  few  minutes  longer,  then 
breathed  a  sigh  of  relief  and  said  : 

"Well,  on  that  basis  we  have  1,609,432,346  tons  of  salt  in  sight.      Do  you 
think  there  is  any  likelihood  of  its  running  short  ? " 

I  had  nothing  to  say,  but  presently  the  Girl,  who  had  been  engaged  in 
meditation  for  an  unusually  long  period,  remarked  : 

"  Well,  what  I  want  to  know  is  how  the  salt  got  there." 

•'Just  what  a  lot  of  other  curious  people  who  are  not  content  to  accept  The  green- 
Nature's  pranks  and  practical  jokes  as  they  find  them,  but  must  go  poking  fisfup^s^Sp. 
about  to  discover  how  the  old  dame  played  them,  have  been   wanting  to 
know,"  responded  the  Growler.     "  It's  all  guess  work.     But  the  most  reason- 
able theory  is  that  during  the  Eocene  period,  when  a  great  sea  stretched 
over  all  this  region,  the  present  mine  was  an  enclosed  lagoon.     Through 
some  process  the  salt  water  it  contained  was  evaporated,  the  lake  was  again 
filled,  again  evaporated,  and  so  on,  each  successive  stage  depositing  a  strata   HOW  the  salt 
of  salt,  until  the  lagoon  was  filled.     Then  came  a  great  overflow  from  the  fuesseTat. 
northward  which  brought  a  deposit  of  soil  and  left  it  there  like  a  big  blanket 
over  the  salt.     At  some  period  there  was  a  convulsion  of  Nature  which 
crumpled  the  whole  mass.     There  were  probably  successive  overflows  at 
long  intervals  of  time,  for  there  are   evidences  of  prehistoric  occupation, 
many  of  which  are  now  among  the  treasures  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,   prehistoric 
A  basket,  woven  of  rushes,  was  found  fifteen  feet  below  the  surface,  with  a  sa?t?too.n 
great  oak  growing  over  it.     Successive  stratas  of  broken   pottery  seem  to 
show  that  perhaps  prehistoric  man  reverted   here  during  long  ages  to  get 
salt.     But  the  most  interesting  finds  have  been  in  the  direction  of  animal 
life.     Preserved  by  the  proximity  of  the  salt  these  relics  are  of  inestimable 
value  to  the  blue-goggled  scientists,  who  have   had  all  their  preconceived 
and  cob-webbed  theories  knocked  into  smithereens  by  them.     The  fossil 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  sloth,  the   remains  of  the  sloth  and  tapir  were  found  on  the  island  before  it  was  known 

tapir   and    the      ,11  •         j  •  .  . 

horse  in  pickle,  they  had  ever  existed  on  this  continent  Later,  their  remains  were  found  on 
the  Brazos.  The  skeleton  of  the  mastodon  was  unearthed  sixteen  feet  below 
the  surface,  and  among  the  bones,  preserved  by  the  salt,  were  the  masti- 
cated remains  of  his  last  meal  —  the  succulent  ends  of  cane,  etc.  Professor 
Marsh  examined  the  jaw  and  teeth  of  the  horse  which  were  taken  out  at  a 

it  was  the  first  similar  depth,  and  pronounced  them  as  belonging  to  the  Equus  Fraternus, 
or  '  Friendly  horse,'  closely  resembling  the  equine  as  we  know  him  to-day. 
And  yet  we  have  not  even  a  tradition  of  the  animal  existing  on  this  conti- 
nent prior  to  the  Spanish  invasion.  Near  the  remains  of  the  horse  was  found 
a  hickory  nut  so  perfectly 
preserved  that  it  showed 
the  marks  of  a  squirrel's 
teeth  as  freshly  cut  as 
tho'  he  had  but  just 
dropped  it  from  a 
tree-top." 


This  is  not  a 
fish  story. 


How  it  looks 
down  in  the 
mine. 


ViKWS   ALONG   THK   TKCHE. 


"  You  are  sure 
it  wasn't   a  chest- 
nut,  are  you  ?"    I 
asked.      But   the 
Growler   only    looked   at   me   scornfully   and    continued : 

"There  is  a  deposit  of  lignite  on  the  island  eighteen  feet  thick,  large 
beds  of  fine  fire  clay,  kaoline  in  small  quantities,  and  mineral  salts  are 
believed  to  exist,  though  as  yet  none  have  been  found." 

"What  does  a  salt  mine  look  like,  anyhow?"  the  Girl  asked;  "is  it  any- 
thing like  a  coal  mine?" 

"I  shall  never  forget  my  visit  to  the  Avery's  Island  mine,"  the  Colonel 
responded,  meditatively.  "The  exploit  was  no  less  beautiful  than  novel. 
We  were  dropped  down  a  shaft  180  feet  deep.  The  first  workings  were  100 
feet  below  the  surface,  but  have  been  abandoned,  owing  to  the  existence  of 
surface  water,  due  to  a  fracture  of  the  roof  while  blasting,  for  dynamite  is 
used  to  get  the  salt  out.  From  the  lower  level  great  galleries  radiate,  of  a 
uniform  width  of  eighty  feet  and  a  height  of  sixty  feet.  For  a  quarter  of 


THE    SALT    MINE   OF    i'L  TIT   ANSE. 


33 


a  mile  they  stretch  out  in  cavernous  recesses  like  colossal  ice  caves.  The 
walls  glisten  with  a  bluish  radiance  as  the  lights  of  the  workmen  fall  upon 
them.  Beneath  one's  feet  the  white  salt  crunches  like  frost.  Far  off  in 
the  black  depths  the  ruddy  tapers  of  the  miners  twinkle,  and  the  figures 
dimly  moving  about  are  like  those  of  gnomes  busy  with  some  supernatural 
task.  It  is  weird  and  spectral.  Suddenly  a  dozen  sticks  of  dynamite  are 
ignited,  and  a  blue  radiance  lights  up  the  abysmal  caverns.  The  walls 
glow  in  a  green  sheen  like  the  impalpable  light  of  an  arctic  aurora.  A 
million  diamond-like  crystals  flash  from  roof  and  floor.  It  is  all  a  colossal  A  fairy  scene 
fairy  scene,  and  infinitely  more  dazzling  and  superb  and  inspiring  than  any-  inferno 
thing  the  mind  could  conjure  up.  Then  the  lights  go  out,  and  the  Pluto- 
nian darkness,  with  its  occasional  glint  of  cold  blue  color,  and  the  flitting 
red  lamps  that  glimmer  qrewsomely,  move  one  with  a  touch  of  the  spectral 

spirit  of   Dante  and  the  weird 
L-gendsot  the  Inferno.  You  go 
back  to  the  surface  to  see 


THK   SALT   WORKS  ON   AVERY'S    ISLAND. 


the  salt  crushe 
and  sifted  into 
grades,  and  to 
learn  that  the 
crystalized  cubes 
that  look  like  per- 
fect squares  of 
transparent  glass 

an  inch  on  each  angle,  are  used  by  the  northern  packers  to  cap  the  barrels 
of  pork  designed  for  export,  and,  indeed,  to  get  a  deal  of  useful  information 
from  all  the  courteous  attendants." 

"What  a  wonderful  place  it  is,"  said  the  Girl. 

"You  haven't  heard  of  half  its  wonders,"  replied  the  Growler.     "The  That's  where 
pepperly  Tabasco  sauce  which  you  find  on  tables  all  over  the  world,  and  Tabasco  saatx, 
which  those  of  us  who  eat  soups  and  oysters  regard  as  indispensable,  is 
made  on  the  island,  and  on  the  island  only.     It  has  a  history  quite  as 
romantic  as  the  sauce  is  '  hot.'  " 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  Growler 
gives  the  youth 
a  rap. 


"  Give  us  the  history,"  I  said,  "  but  spare  us  any  more  hickory  nuts  of 
the  Eocene  period." 

"If  you  do  not  know  more  at  the  end  of  this  trip  than  you  do  at  pres- 
ent," replied  the  Growler,  with  dignity,  "  it  will  not  be  my  fault.  The 
Tabasco  pepper  is  a  native  of  the  state  of  that  name  in  Mexico.  It  is  as 
high  tempered  as  are  the  natives  of  that  region.  In  fact  it  is  the  very  con- 
centration of  all  that  is  demoniacal  in  pepper.  When  our  troops  returned 
from  the  Mexican  campaign,  one  of  them,  who  was  a  friend  of  Mr.  Mcll- 
henny,  a  member  of  the  Avery  family  residing  on  the  island,  brought  that 
gentleman  some  of  these  peppers.  The  plant  was  cultivated  on  the  island 
for  a  number  of  years  and  the  product  employed  simply  for  domestic  use. 


Something  of 
the  history  of  a 
famous  sauce, 
now  for  the 
first  time  put 
in  print. 


They  are  little, 
but,  Oh,  my ! 


isr      -oro 


WOODEN    BRIDGE   ON   THE   TKCIIK. 


Mansell  White,  a  well-known  gentleman  of  New  Orleans,  for  a  number  of 
years  made,  for  the  use  of  himself  and  friends,  a  very  fine  sauce,  the  chief 
ingredients  of  which  were  bird's-eye  and  Chili  peppers.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  this  source  of  supply  was  cut  off,  and  Mr.  Mcllhenny  began  making 
what  has  come  to  be  known  as  Tabasco  sauce.  He  had  been  a  refugee  in 
Texas,  and  during  his  absence  the  cultivation  of  the  pepper  had  been  neg- 
lected and  only  a  few  wild  plants  had  by  chance  survived  in  a  neglected 
hedge  where  birds  had  dropped  the  seeds.  Gradually  as  the  fame  of  the 
sauce  spread  and  the  demand  for  it  increased,  Mr.  Mcllhenny  engaged  in 
its  manufacture  commercially  until  now  twenty-five  acres  are  given  over  to 
its  culture,  and  from  75,000  to  125,000  plants  are  set  out.  It  requires  much 
care  and  patience.  The  seed  is  sown  in  March,  and  the  young  shoots  set 
out  in  April.  They  are  protected  from  the  early  chill  winds  by  spreading 
moss  over  them  until  strong  enough  to  stand  the  weather.  The  picking 
begins  early  in  September  and  lasts  until  the  first  killing  frost." 

"  Are  they  like  our  mangoes  ?  "  asked  the  Girl. 

"  Not  at  all,"  replied  the  Growler  ;  "  they  are  from  half  an  inch  to  an 
inch  long,  very  slender  and  very  red.  Besides  they  do  not  hang  pendant 
on  the  branches  of  the  plant,  but  stand  upright  as  though  conscious  of  their 
strength.  After  being  picked  when  dead-ripe  they  are  packed  in  barrels  of 


A   GLIMPSE   OF   PARADISE. 


35 


strong  brine  and  can  be  kept  indefinitely.  When  wanted  for  use  they  are 
macerated,  the  mucilaginous  pulp,  which  is  pure  pepper,  is  extracted  and 
with  the  addition  of  a  preservative  is  bottled  ready  for  the  market.  The 
seeds  and  pulp  which  form  the  residue  are  ground  up  and  sold  as  a  flavor- 
ing condiment  for  soups.  The  sauce  has  won  three  gold  medals — at  Ne\v 
Orleans  in  '84,  and  at  Chicago  and  Atlanta  in  '93. 

"  Quite  a  place  where  the  residents  can  find  their  own  supplies  of  pepper 
and  salt,"  I  said. 

"  And  their  own  sugar  and  cotton,  fruits,  grains  and  vegetables,"  replied 


How  the  hot 
stuff  is  made. 


THE   HOME   OVERLOOKING    THE   GULF   ON   AVERY'S   ISLAND. 

the  Growler.     "  Where  they  raise  their  own  beef  and  pork  and  mutton,  kill  Anindepend- 

deer  and  bear  in  their  own  cane  brakes,  and   can  catch  the  finest  fish  in   course.' 

abundance,  or  shoot  wild  ducks  and  geese  and  snipe  by  myriads  with  little 

effort.     In  fact  it's  an  ideal  place,  reached  by  a  half  hour's  ride  over  the 

great  marshes.     Then  the  land  begins  to  grow  higher  ;  oak  covered  hills 

rise  on  either  side  of  the  track,  the  highest  point  reaching  an  altitude  of 

1 80  feet.     There  are  3,000  acres  of  arable  land  besides  I  don't  know  how 

much  timber.     Picturesque  valleys  and  miniature  plateaus  are  surrounded 

or  hemmed  in  by  these  billowy  hills.     The  great  oak  trees  have  stood  for 

hundreds  of  years  bedecked  with  trailing  veils  of  moss  and  the  tendrils  of 

wild  vines.     On  the  southeast  side  of  the  island  is  the  sugar  plantation  and 

the  home  of  Capt.  Avery.     On  the  southwestern  edge,  on  an  elevation  of 

100  feet,  the  home  of  the  other  members  of  the  family.     The  art  and  iitera- 


36 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


get  them. 


And  the  island  ture  of  three  generations  of  culture  are  gathered  here,  in  a  mansion  where 
paradise  as  we  presidents,  poets  and  statesmen  have  been  guests.  From  its  broad  piazzas 
one  can  look  off  through  the  cathedral  arches  of  the  great  trees  to  what 
seems  is  the  very  edge  of  the  planet.  To  the  south  and  west  the  salt 
marshes  stretch  in  infinite  expanse  that  rests  the  eye.  Slender  bayous  like 
tangled  strands  interlace  in  a  confused  skein.  Far  out  is  a  glimpse  of 
azure  where  Vermilion  Bay  throws  its  arm  about  the  marsh  to  woo  it  to 
the  billowy  gulf  beyond.  On  the  west  'Orange  Island,'  the  home  of  Joseph 
Jefferson,  rises  like  a  blue  mound  from  the  sea  of  undulating  marsh  grass. 
To  the  west  and  north  is  the  original  home  of  the  Acadians,  those  simple 
folk  whose  lives  are  prose,  but  whose  history  is  poetry  and  pathos.  On 
Grege,  Carline,  Vermilion  and  Petit  Anse  prairies,  bounded  by  Avery's 
Island  on  the  east,  Vermilion  on  the  west,  and  New  Iberia  on  the  north, 
are  the  descendants  of  those  original  settlers  who  fled  before  a  military 
mandate  from  their  Acadian  homes  on  the  far  northeast  coast  and  trans- 
planted to  a  sunny  land  the  simple  ways  of  thought  and  life  they  held  a 
century  ago." 

"Good,  good/'  cried  the  Girl,  clapping  her  hands ;  "you're  just  lovely,  if 
you  are  a  Growler,  and  you  ought  to  write  a  book  or  a  poem,  or  deliver  a 
lecture,  or — or — something  of  that  sort." 


The  original 
home  ofthe 
wanderers. 


All  of  which 
arouses  the 
enthusiasm  of 
the  Girl. 


CHAPTER    IV 

NEW    IBERIA    AND    THE    LAND    OF    THE    ACADIANS — WITH    SOME    REFERENCE 
TO    THEIR    PAST    AND    MUCH    AS    TO    THEIR    PRESENT. 

"  T   T  ERE'S  a  thrifty  town  of  the  new  school  grown  out  of  the  old,"  said  Newiberia, 

1  I  the  Colonel,  as  the  train  drew  up  to  the  station  at  New  Iberia. 
"  It  ought  to  be  a  good  town,  for  it  is  in  the  center  of  the  richest  agricultural  ^80"  at 
section  in  the  world  —  the  very  heart  of  the  sugar  lands  of  Louisiana. 
From  the  depot  to  Bayou  Teche  is  only  a  few  blocks.  The  town  is  built 
between  these  two  arteries  of  its  commerce.  To  all  the  characteristics  of 
old  time  comfort  it  adds  a  stirring  life  of  manufacture  and  trade.  From 
here  one  can  run  down  on  the  branch  line  to  Abbeville  a  town,  which  com- 
bines an  ancient  air  of  quaintness  with  much  of 
modern  thrift." 

"  But  now  that  we  are  right  in  the  land  of  the 
Acadians,  I  want  to  hear  something  about  them," 
said  the  Girl. 

"And  so  do  I,"  I  chimed  in,  "about  their  past 
and  their  present." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Growler,  "  I'll  let  the  Colonel 
do  most  of  the  talking,  for  he  has  seen  more  of 
them  than  I  have,  but  before  he  begins  I'll  tell 
you  of  a  very  delightful  interview  I  had  with  a 
splendid  representative  of  the  race  the  last  time 

EX-LIEUT.    GOVERNOR    MOUTON. 

I  went  over  the  road.     I  refer  to  the  Hon.  C.  H. 

Mouton,  who  was  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Louisiana,  1855-58,  during  the   A  bit  of 

governorship    of    Robert  C.    Wickliff.       Mr.    Mouton,   who  is   now    nearly   genealogy. 

seventy-three  years  of   age,   lived  at    Lafayette,   which   was  earlier  called 

Vermilionville,  until  about  twelve  years  ago,  when  he  moved  to  St.  Mar- 

tinsville,   where   he  now  resides.      He    has   practiced  law   for   upwards  of 

half   a  century.      Imagine  a  tall,    straight    old   gentleman,   with   clear-cut, 

intellectual  face  and  bright  gray  eyes,  and  you  have  a  picture  of  my  subject. 

The  vigor  of   his  intellect  has  been  in  no  wise  impaired  by  the  years  that 

have  come  and  gone.     In  talking  with  him  of  the  Acadians  Mr.  Mouton 

said  that   among  the   original  settlers  of   this  section   were   the  Moutons, 

Herberts,  Duhons,  Trahans,  Le  Blancs  and  Broussards.         I  recall  that  he 

also  told  me  that  in  his  family  there  was  a  tradition  that  the  real  name  of 

37 


38  THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 

TheMouto*       Longfellow's  Evangeline  was  Emmeline  Labiche,  and  that,  as  preserved  in 

family  have  a..  ...  .......  ,. 

tradition  of        this  legend,  the  story  of  her  life  corresponded  m  the  mam  with  the  story 
Evangeline.       of  Longfellow's  Evangeline.     Mr.  Mouton's  maternal  grandmother,  whose 
name  was  Robichead,  came  to  this  section  of  Louisiana  in   1765.      Her 
journey  from  Acadia  was  not  one  a  woman  would  be  likely  to  take  now- 
adays, for  she  came  as  far  as  Baltimore  by  vessel,  and  from  there  to  New 
Orleans  on  foot.     She  married  in  the  parish  of  St.  Martin  an   ex-surgeon 
of  the  French  army,  named  Bordea.     They  had  three  daughters:    one  of 
these  married   John    Mouton,  who   became   the  father  of   the  chivalrous 
Gav^  Alexandre    Mouton,   United    States    Senator,   and    in    1842    Governor   of 

sont"t§ltheled  Louisiana;  one  married  David  Guidry,  and  one  a  man  named  Castille,  and 
later,  after  his  death,  the  heroic  Colonel  Alcibiades  de  Blanc,  of  St.  Mar- 
tinsville,  who  became  a  distinguished  Confederate  commander,  and  after- 
wards served  on  the  supreme  bench  of  the  state.  Besides  the  John  Mouton 
referred  to,  there  was  another  brother,  and  from  these  two  sprang  the 
hundreds  of  Moutons  who  fill  the  Vermilionville  country.  As  an  evidence 
of  the  rapidity  of  the  growth  of  the  family,  Mr.  Mouton  told  me  that  he 
had  himself  fourteen  children,  and  that  when  the  widow  of  Edward 
A  prolific  Mouton  died  a  few  years  ago,  she  was  mourned  by  three  living  children 

and  ninety-seven  grandchildren.  You  will  pardon  this  genealogical  digres- 
sion. I  have  narrated  it  because  it  throws  some  light  on  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  numerous  of  the  original  Acadian  families  in  all  this  part  of 
Louisiana." 

"  Now  to  give  you  a  glimpse  of  life  in  those  times  as  related  to  me  by 
Mr.  Mouton.  All  was  wild  prairie  when  his  grandfather  opened  his  store, 
for  he  was  engaged  in  trade  with  the  Choctaw  Indians,  who  then  filled  the 
country.  They  were  a  peaceable  race,  and  had  not  been  spoiled  by  the 
Theytraveied  white  man's  whisky  as  our  present  Indians  have  been.  Once  a  year  his 
grandfather  would  load  a  flatboat  with  peltries  and  other  products,  with 


of  "The  Sunset     ,  .,  .... 

Limited."  flour  and  sausages  and  meats  to  provide  them  on  the  way,  and  with  his 
family  and  his  negro  servants  would  voyage  to  New  Orleans  to  replenish  his 
stock  and  enjoy  the  diversions  of  the  city.  It  was  atrip  that  consumed  a 
month  or  two,  and  was,  of  course,  a  great  event  in  the  domestic  life.  The 
traders  who  did  business  at  what  is  now  known  as  Washington,  but  which 
was  then  known  by  the  less  euphonious  name  of  Niggertown,  because  of  its 
large  population  of  free  colored  people,  had  an  even  more  arduous  task  to 
reach  the  city.  Their  flatboats  went  down  the  Bayou  Court  a  Blanc,  to  the 
Atchafalaya  River,  from  there  to  Butte  a  la  Rose  and  into  Grand  River, 
and  along  that  stream  to  Indian  Village  on  Bayou  Plaquemine.  From 

And  it  was  a       Indian  Village  to  the  Mississippi  it  was  nine  miles  against  the  current,  and 

slow  process,          ,        , 

too,  as  you  can  the  boats  were  'cordelled,  or  drawn  up  by  ropes  from  the  craft  to  the  bank. 
The  rope  would  be  fastened  to  a  tree  on  the  shore  and  the  boat  drawn  up 


THE  LAND   OF  THE  ACADIANS.  39 

to  it,  and  the  operation  repeated  again  and  again  until  the  distance  was 
covered.  Sometimes  a  capstan  was  fixed  on  the  boat  and  oxen  used  to 
draw  it  up.  From  the  mouth  of  the  bayou  the  boats  were  floated  down  on 
the  broad  bosom  of  the  Mississippi  to  New  Orleans.  A  round  trip  by  this 
now  almost  forgotten  route  not  infrequently  consumed  five  and  six  months. 
Mr.  Mouton  also  told  me  the  family  traditions  of  La  Fitte,  but  I'll  reserve 
that  until  later,  and  let  the  Colonel  tell  you  more  about  the  Acadians, 
because  we  will  soon  be  out  of  their  country,  while  we  have  La  Fitte  with 
us  from  the  time  we  leave  New  Orleans  until  we  get  past  Lake  Charles,  so 
he'll  keep,  you  know." 

"  How  the  Acadians  were  expelled  from  what  we  now  know  as  *Nova  Acadian 

. .  „,.  .        .          history,  but 

Scotia  in  1755,  said  the  Colonel,  "is  an  old  story.  Ihe  more  humanitarian  not  enough  to 
thought  of  our  day  regards  it  as  an  act  of  tyranny  and  brutality.  The  con- 
science of  that  time  could  easily  excuse  it  on  the  ground  of  military  neces- 
sity, because,  tho'  the  Acadians  were  practically  English  subjects,  they  per- 
sistently declined  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Crown,  and  were 
regarded  as  a  perpetual  menace  to  the  perpetuity  of  the  colony.  However, 
under  the  governorship  of  Charles  Lawrence,  they  were  summarily  deported 
after  the  confiscation  of  their  estates,  stock  and  garnered  crops — the  accu- 
mulations of  a  century  and  a  half  of  industry.  Scattered  far  and  wide 
throughout  the  American  colonies,  many  of  them  made  their  way  to  Louisi-  They  knew  a 
ana,  to  be  under  the  protection  of  France.  But  in  this  they  were  dis-  when  they  saw- 
appointed,  for  Spain  had  but  just  acquired  control.  However,  they  were 
kindly  received  and  provided  for.  They  settled  in  what  is  now  St.  James 
parish  and  scattered  largely  through  the  Attakapas  country,  populating 
most  generally  what  are  the  present  parishes  of  St.  Landry,  Acadia,  Vermil- 
ion, Lafayette,  St.  Martin  and  Iberia.  Here  they  live  to-day  much  as  their 
forefathers  lived  on  the  Basin  of  Minas  and  the  Prairie  of  Grand  Pre.  Their  simple 

ways  of  living 

With  a  few  notable  exceptions,  they  are  indifferent  to  the  appeals  of  ambi-  and  homely 

tion  and  to  the  allurements  of  affluence.     Their  homes  are  simple  cottages, 

very  plainly  furnished  with  the  bare  necessities  of  living.     Their  fare  is 

frugal  in  the  extreme.     Among  the  masses  education  is  neglected.     The 

Acadian  French,  with  the  Creole  patois,  is  their  language.    They  marry  at  a 

very  early  age  and  set  up  housekeeping  in  a  modest  cot,  where  the  absence 

of  furniture  is  soon  made  up  by  a  numerous  progeny.     Honest,  industrious 

as  needs  be  to  supply  their  own  simple   necessities,  and    religious   to   a 

degree,  they  have  few  wants  and  fewer  cares,  and  if  their  women  do  most 

of  the  work,  the  men  are  kept  reasonably  busy  rolling  cigarettes  for  their 

own  consumption.     They  preserve  but  one  industry  peculiar  to  themselves, 

and  this  is  in  the  weaving  of  cottonades  from  the  nankeen  cotton  which  The  primitive 

.    .  ,  ,  industry 

they  grow.     The  fiber  of  this  nankeen  cotton  is  of  a  brownish  golden  color,   peculiar  to  the 
Woven  by  the  women  upon  hand-looms  in  their  own  homes,  a  durable  and  l 


40 


THROUGH   STORYLAND    TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 


Didn't  know 
how  to  make 
the  most  of 
their 

opportunities. 


At  this 
juncture  a 
shrewd 
northerner 
came  in 


Average  value 
of  products  to 
the  acre,  $20. 


pleasing  fabric  is  produced  in  a  variety  of  patterns.  Up  to  the  time  of  the 
Exposition  of  1884  in  New  Orleans  the  industry  was  in  a  state  of  decadence, 
but  Mrs.  Sarah  Avery  Leeds,  who  took  an  active  interest  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  handicraft  and  the  welfare  of  the  simple  people,  devoted  herself 
to  encouraging  the  humble  workers,  and  through  the  agency  of  the  Chris- 
tian Woman's  Exchange  of  New  Orleans  directed  attention  to  and  found  a 
market  for  their  wares.  The  people  might  all  have  been  possessed  of 
wealth  had  they  been  reasonably  industrious  and  acquisitive.  They  took 
possession  of  a  paradise,  and  for  a  hundred  years  and  more  were  content  to 
find  a  frugal  living.  A  few  years  ago  the  adventurous  northerner,  restless 
and  discouraged  by  the  severity  of  his  climate,  came  and  looked  at  the 
country.  S.  L.  Gary,  who  came  down  to  Jennings  from  Iowa,  saw  all  its 
possibilities  and  began  telling  the  world  of  them.  He  found  the  land  could 
be  bought  .for  a  dollar  or  two  an  acre.  The  natives  lassoed  long-horned 
cattle,  shot  razor-backed  hogs,  planted  the  same  seed  over  and  over  again, 
and  were  serene  in  the  enjoyment  of  what  a  couple  of  acres  poorly  cultivated 
would  produce.  The  northerner  was  discouraged  by  what  the  natives  said 
of  the  country,  for  they  averred  he'd  starve.  Nevertheless  he  pinned  his 
faith  to  Gary,  came  and  brought  his  relatives  and  friends,  and  now  they 
own,  populate  and  make  productive  some  hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres. 
He  found  a  fertile  soil  awaiting  intelligent  treatment.  There  were  no 
stumps  or  stones  to  test  his  patience.  He  could  get  good  water  at  from 
ten  to  twenty  feet  through  clay.  Bermuda  and  Japanese  clover  grew  to 
perfection.  Sugar  cane  yields  twenty  tons  to  the  acre,  rice  ten  barrels, 
worth  $3.00  per  barrel.  Hardy  vegetables,  like  radishes,  turnips,  lettuce 
and  cabbage,  grow  all  winter.  Figs  and  oranges  thrive  and  are  profitable. 
Poultry  and  stock  are  at  home.  With  an  average  altitude  of  say  seventy- 
five  feet,  an  evenly  distributed  rainfall  of  fifty-five  inches,  a  death  rate  the 
lowest  of  any  of  the  states  (8  to  the  1000),  and  an  immunity  from  a  score  of 
diseases  the  northerner  dreads,  it  is  no  wonder  that  thousands  of  northern 
people  have  come  and  are  annually  coming  to  Southwest  Louisiana,  and 
supplanting  by  magnificent  estates  the  limited  and  poorly  cultivated 
'patches'  of  the  Acadian.  There  are  homes  here  for  the  millions  who  in 
the  East  and  North  are  looking  about  for  opportunity  to  better  their  condi- 
tion, and,  thank  goodness,  they  are  beginning  to  realize  it." 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  TRADITIONS  OF  LA  FITTE  THAT  ADHERE  TO  THE  COUNTRY  BEING 

TRAVERSED. 

"  T~"*  VERY  waterway  we  cross  and  all  the  bayous  'and   harbors   on  the  where 

I    s     gulf  coast  to  the  south  of  us,  from  Barataria  Bay  to  the  Sabine  thedpVr°a°?ca^ 

River,  are  redolent  with  traditions  of  La  Fitte,  the  pirate  of  the  gulf,"  said  H 
the  Colonel.     "The  Mermentau,  which  we  cross  just  beyond  Crowley,  and 


IN   THE   BAYOU   COUNTRY   OF   LOUISIANA. 


the  Calcasieu,  at  Lake  Charles,  are  peculiarly  fraught  with  local  legends  of 
the  freebooter's  presence,  and  whether  he  ever  visited  them  or  not,  their 
banks  have  been  liberally  dug  up  by  the  treasure-seeker,  and  the  stories  of 
his  visitations  are  cherished  with  wonderful  tenacity." 

"  And  more  unwarranted  fiction  of  the  yellow-backed  variety  has  been 
written  about  La  Fitte  than  any  other  character  that  we  have  ever  had  in 
evidence,"  remarked  the  Growler,  savagely. 

"The  more   I   come  to  know  of  La  Fitte  the  more  respect  I  have  for  The  pirate  had 
him,"  replied  the  Colonel.     "Of  course  I  don't  admire  his  character,  but," 
he  added,  musingly,  "  he  had  his  good  points.     It  seems  a  pity  that  history 
should  cruelly  rob  our  cherished  pirate  of  so  many  of  the  ferocious  charac- 


42  THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 

teristics  that  appealed  to  our  youtuful  but  sanguinary  imagination.  Instead 
of  being  the  rollicking  and  reckless  sailor  we  pictured  him,  he  was  merely  a 
shrewd  blacksmith,  doing  business  in  the  early  part  of  the  century  at  a  little 
shop  on  Bourbon  street  in  New  Orleans.  The  unsettled  condition  of  the 
where  the  times  in  which  he  flourished  made  his  subsequent  career  possible.  Follow- 

freebooter  got      .  .  .    . 

in  his  fine  ing  the  cession  of  Louisiana  to  the  United  States,  France  and  Spain  became 
embroiled  in  war.  Then  the  United  States  of  Colombia  declared  their 
independence  of  Spain.  In  the  first  of  these  struggles  privateers  commis- 
sioned by  the  French  authorities  at  Martinique  and  Guadalupe  swarmed 
upon  the  gulf  and  Caribbean  Sea  to  prey  upon  the  Spanish  commerce. 
Colombia  took  its  cue  from  this  example,  and  invited  privateers  to  outfit  at 
Carthagena  and  sail  under  her  flag  for  the  same  purpose.  A  surprising 
number  of  excellent  people  who  esteemed  themselves  eminently  respectable 

when  the          engaged  in  this  very  profitable  industry.     The  line  between  the  privateers- 

had"owaikUie  man  and  the  pirate  is  necessarily  an  elusive  one,  for  with  a  little  practice 
the  former  finds  it  extremely  difficult  to  distinguish  between  the  vessel 
which  is  his  legitimate  prey  and  the  rich  merchantman  of  any  other  nation- 
ality. Jean  La  Fitte,  the  blacksmith,  became  one  of  the  active  and  intelli- 
gent agents  in  New  Orleans  of  the  gulf  privateersmen,  for  it  was  obviously 
important  that,  after  capturing  a  vessel  laden  with  goods,  its  cargo  should 
be  disposed  of  to  achieve  the  rewards  of  their  industry.  By  degrees  he 
acquired  influence  and  eminence  among  them,  until  in  1813-14  we  find  him 
the  undisputed  leader,  with  a  fortified  post  on  Barataria  Bay,  a  large  fleet, 
hundreds  of  men  under  his  command,  and  an  organization  so  complete  that 

Butfinaiiythey  its  ramifications  extended  all  over  the  country.     In  spite  of  the  protests  of 

tave  La  Fitte 
ts.  the  reputable  citizens  of  New  Orleans,  and  of  repeated  efforts  to  bring  him 

to  justice,  it  was  not  until  1814  that  an  expedition  dislodged  him,  captured 
and  confiscated  the  accumulated  plunder  and  effectually  scattered  the 
band,  and  this  final  demolition  of  the  coterie  grew  out  of  La  Fitte's  indig- 
nant rejection  of  the  overtures  of  the  English  who  sought  to  enlist  his  aid 
in  their  descent  on  the  country,  and  which  overtures  he  communicated  to 
the  state  authorities,  at  the  same  time  protesting  his  loyalty  to  the  govern- 
ment and  denying  the  charges  of  piracy  brought  against  him.  But  if  La 
Fitte  was  not  the  bold  freebooter  we  used  to  believe  him,  there  was  cer- 
tainly enough  of  piracy  connected  with  the  men  of  his  fleet  and  the  opera- 
tions of  his  vessels  to  stock  every  bay  and  bayou  with  traditions  that  will 
last  for  centuries  to  come." 

A  brisk  "And  that  they  were  slavers,  too,  I  have  no  doubt,"  added  the  Growler, 

biackcargoes.     "  for  Ex-Lieut.  Governor  Mouton,  of  whom  I  told  you,  related  to  me  incidents 

in  the  experience  of  his  own  family  which  go  to  prove  it.     La  Fitte  was  often 

reported  to  be  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mermentau,  and  vessels  of  his  fleet 

ascended  the  river  and  disposed  of  slaves  to  the  planters.     Mr.  Mouton's 


THE   TRADITIONS   OF   LA   FITTE. 


43 


father  had  owned  two  slaves  bought  in  this  way.  One  time  when  hunting 
in  the  canebrake  not  more  than  two  miles  from  the  present  site  of  Lafay- 
ette, the  elder  Mouton  had  been  startled  by  a  wild  clamor  among  the  hounds 
ahead  of  him.  Spurring  his  horse  through  the  brush  he  came  upon  a  party 
of  twenty  slaves,  men  and  women,  in  charge  of  one  of  the  pirates  named 
Gamble.  They  were  absolutely  without  clothing  and  terribly  frightened  by 
the  uproar  of  the  dogs.  At  another  time,  in  the  same  vicinity,  Gambie  was 
taking  a  party  of  slaves  northward  in  the  winter  time.  He  had  them  in  an 
ox  cart,  and  they  had  no  protection  from  the  weather,  were  naked  and 
almost  starved.  One  night  there  was  a  heavy  frost  and  several  of  the 
unfortunate  blacks  died  from  the  unwonted  inclemency  of  the  weather. 
The  penalty  on  slaving  was  so  heavy  that  the 
greatest  caution  was  exercised  in  disposing  of 
the  Africans,  and  a  purchaser  never  really  knew 
of  whom  he  bought  his  slave.  The  Mermentau 
and  Calcasieti  rivers  were  favorite  retreats  for 
the  slaver,  but  once  when  Gambie  ran  his 
schooner  into  the  Nezpiguie,  he  had  to  sink  it 
to  avoid  capture,  and  one  can  still  pick  up  on 
the  spot,  iron  pots,  broken  crockery,  and  other 
relics  of  the  destroyed  vessel.  .Mr.  Mouton  had 
often  heard  his  father  and  other  older  men  talk 
of  meeting  'Gambie,'  'Paul  Clustine,'  'Corse,' 
'Triest,'  and  others  of  the  lieutenants  of  La 
Fitte.  I  was  interested  in  Mr.  Mouton's  telling 
me  that  he  had  owned  one  of  these  original 
slaves  so  brought  in,  and  he  described  his 
character  as  being  very  admirable.  He  said 
that  the  idea  of  whipping  him  had  never  sug- 
gested itself  to  any  one,  and  that  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  the  black  to 
'take  the  stick'  to  the  white  children  when  they  offended  him." 

"And  did  La  Fitte  really  bury  any  of  his  treasure  about  here?"  asked 
the  Girl. 

"  I  should  not  like  to  invest  much  on  the  strength  of  such  a  speculation," 
replied  the  Growler,  "tho"  there  are  plenty  of  people  who  are  satisfied  that 
pots  of  gold  are  planted  indiscriminately  along  the  gulf  coast  and  its  trib- 
utary bayous.  I  don't  believe  La  Fitte  buried  any,  or  he  would  have  taken 
it  with  him  when  he  sailed  away  in  1817  to  find  a  place  of  refuge.  If  he 
did  take  it  it  is  lost,  for  the  noted  privateer  and  his  vessel  went  down  in  a 
terrible  storm.  However,  the  gulf  coast  has  been  pretty  well  explored  and 
excavated,  and  people  still  have  a  try  at  it  from  time  to  time.  Fitful  lights 
glow  on  the  banks  of  these  bayous  at  night,  and  mysterious  parties  go  forth 


Slaves  in  the 
cane  where 
Lafayette 

now  is. 


It  was  a 
business  that 
required 
discretion. 


BILL   ODELL, 
THE  HUNTER  OF   AVERY'S  ISLAND. 


The  old  darkey 
stood  on  his 
dignity. 


Hunting  for  I«a 
Fitte's  buried 
treasure. 


44 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


These  are  the 
fellows  who 
buy  gold 
bricks  and 
buck  the  three- 
card-monte 
man,  too. 


He  had  $700.00 
worth  of  faith. 


But  these 
fellows  really 
made  a  haul. 


The 

government 
discouraged 
their  industry. 


Slaves  were 
cheap,  but 
money  was 
scarce. 


with  time-stained  charts  to  seek  treasure  trove.  The  most  barefaced  impos- 
tures are  practiced  on  the  innocent,  too.  I  remember  an  incident  that 
occurred  near  Crowley.  Not  long  since  an  affable  fellow  visited  the  farm 
of  a  rich  and  intelligent  settler  who  lived  on  the  Bayou  Queue  de  Tortue, 
near  there.  He  had  a  divining-rod  that  would  invariably  and  remorselessly 
point  to  hidden  gold  ;  and  he  confidentially  gave  the  farmer  the  address  of 
the  party  in  Denver  who  made  and  sold  them  for  $700.00.  Of  course  he 
had  made  a  fortune  in  a  short  time  by  its  use.  The  gullible  agriculturist 
engaged  him  to  look  for  La  Fitte's  treasure,  first  testing  the  power  of  the 
rod  by  burying  in  the  garden  a  lot  of  jewelry  belonging  to  his  wife,  while 
the  man  with  the  divining-rod  was  in  the  house.  The  fellow  with  the  rod 
went  right  to  the  spot,  a  feat  of  divination  doubtless  due  to  successful 
peeping  through  some  convenient  crack  or  window.  Then  the  search  for 
the  piratical  treasure  began.  After  several  days  the  rod  began  to  'work'. 
At  this  juncture  the  'diviner'  suddenly  announced  that  he  had  to  leave. 
The  farmer  'laid  out/  as  he  described  it,  in  the  woods  fora  week,  fully 
convinced  that  the  rod  had  located  a  barrel  of  gold,  and  that  its  owner 
proposed  to  return  by  stealth  and  appropriate  it.  This  project  the  farmer 
determined  to  thwart,  and  as  he  said  '  he'd  kill  that  'ere  feller  ef  he  tried  to 
rob  him.'  Then  he  came  into  Crowley,  mortgaged  his  place  for  $700.00, 
and  sent  the  cash  to  Denver  to  get  a  divining-rod." 

"  And  did  he  get  it  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Oh,  yes,"  replied  the  Growler;  ''but  I  haven't  heard  that  he  has  found 
anything  with  it  yet." 

"  There  is  one  place  where  I  believe  treasure  has  been  found,"  chimed  in 
the  Colonel,  "  and  that  is  on  the  Calcasieu  below  Lake  Charles.  There  is 
living  in  that  flourishing  town  a  very  old  and  very  intelligent  man  by  the 
name  of  Jacob  Ryan,  whose  present  home  looks  out  over  the  beautiful  little 
lake.  He  came  to  Calcasieu  Parish  in  1817,  when  he  was  a  child  of  one 
year,  his  father  settling  at  Rose  Bluff,  twelve  miles  below  the  present  site  of 
the  town.  There  were  few  settlers  in  the  country  then,  and  those  few  were 
Acadians  engaged  in  raising  stock.  All  the  country  belonged  to  the  parish 
of  St.  Landry.  The  people  were  poor  and  money  was  scarce.  Taxes  were 
a  sixteenth  of  one  per  cent,  with  low  rates  of  valuation.  Directly  after 
Mr.  Ryan's  father  moved  to  this  place  the  United  States  gunboat  Bull  Dog, 
Captain  Ferrygood,  came  into  the  river  and  lay  there  a  long  time,  so  that 
the  pirates  had  no  chance.  Before  that  a  good  deal  of  traffic  was  carried 
on  in  slaves  and  contraband  goods,  but  Ryan,  to  whom  I  have  talked,  scoffs 
at  the  idea  that  La  Fitte  ever  made  it  much  of  a  headquarters.  There  was 
little  market  for  the  slaves  brought  in  by  the  slavers,  and  they  were  taken 
through  to  the  Red  River  country  where  the  planters  had  more  means. 
The  slaves  sold  for  from  $250.00  to  $300.00.  But  this  was  a  good  deal  of 


THE   TRADITIONS   OF   LA   FITTE. 


45 


money  to  a  man  who  could  only  get  $10.00  for  a  cow  and  calf,  or  $12.00  for  a 
steer.  Still  some  were  bought  by  people  there,  and  at  least  one  of  these  yet 
lives,  known  as  Guinea  Nigger  Thompson.  Some  of  the  settlers  also  received 
slaves  in  payment  for  service  in  helping  to  run  the  darkies  through.  But 
the  search  for  the  La  Fitte  treasure  began  early  and  has  lasted  ever  since. 
In  1830  two  men,  Moore  and  Queen,  were  reported  to  have  found  three 
thousand  doubloons  in  an  old  iron  pot  on  Keogh's  Island.  They  reached  The  lucky 

,.,,,..,  .  ,     fellows  and 

there  on  a  small  schooner  which  they  hired  from  its  owner,  a  man  named  their  find  on 
Kelsey,  and  he  sailed  it  for  them.  They  worked  according  to  the  directions 
of  a  chart  which  they  possessed.  Kelsey  helped  them  a  little  in  their  dig- 
ping,  but  one  day  they  sent  him  to  the  garrison  at  Lake  Charles  to  get  rome 
supplies.  When  he  returned  with  the  schooner  they  came  on  board  with 
two  corpulent  saddle-bags  so  heavy  that  they  could 

scarcely  lift  them.     They 
then  told  Kelsey  they 


A  LOUISIANA  SCENE. 

had  determined  to  abandon  the  search,  and  on  arrival  at  Lake  Charles  hired   Found 

discretion  and 

Louis  Reon  and  James  Pithon  to  take  them  to  Opelusas.     Pithon  and  Reon   silence  the 
noticed  the  heavy  saddle-bags.     Both  Moore  and  Queen  came  back  several   treasure 
weeks   later,  spent  the  remainder  of  their  days  in  Lake  Charles,  lived  in 
idleness  and  always  seemed  to  have  plenty  of  money.     Neither  of  them 
ever  revealed  the  source  of  their  wealth  or  the  result  of  their  search.    Queen 
died  of  yellow  fever  some  years  afterwards,  and   Moore  was  blown  up  in  a 
steamboat  explosion  while  returning  from  a  visit  to  a  brother  in  Kentucky." 

"  But  how  did  the  gold  get  there  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Mr  Ryan  said  it  was  hidden  by  a  party  of  pirates  who  were  chased   Howthegoid 

™,  got  there. 

into  the  river  by  a  government  cutter  in  1812  or  13.  The  water  was  too 
shallow  for  the  cutter  to  follow  the  light  draft  schooner  and  she  stood  off 
the  entrance  ;  after  a  council  the  pirates  buried  the  treasure  and  attempted 
to  slip  past  the  cutter,  one  demurred  and  elected  to  take  his  chances  in  the 


46 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


marsh.     After  the  schooner  sailed  he  stood  on  the  shore  and  watched  the 
cutter  overtake  and  sink  her,  and  every  man  captured  was  hung  to  the  yard- 
Became  a  good   arm.     The  pirate,  lucky  enough  to  consider  discretion  and  the  swamp  the 

§  irate  on  his  .    *" 

eathbed  and     better  part  of  valor,  made  his  way  to  New  Orleans,  was  taken  ill  and  before 


gave  the  thing 
away, 


AT    THE    SOUTHERN    PACIFIC    DOCKS    IN    ALGIERS. 


dying  gave  a  chart  of  the  place  to  Moore  and  Queen  for  a  consideration 
sufficient  to  make  his  last  hours  comfortable.  Now  Ryan  is  a  hard-headed 
old  fellow  not  given  to  illusions,  and  while  he  says  he  has  never  been  able 
to  trace  down  any  other  discoveries,  he  believes  that  in  this  case  the  find 
was  genuine." 


CHAPTER   VI. 

CROWLEY    AND    LAKE    CHARLES  —  A    ROMANTIC     LIFE — SOME    PIONEER    CON- 
TRASTS—  THE    SULPHUR    MINE    AND    PETROLEUM    DEPOSITS. 

ELL,  this  section  is  certainly  one  redolent  of  romance,"  I  said.   AH  sorts  ot 

T^          i  -n  -i      romance  it 

tor,  between  the  pathos  and  tragedy  of  trench  and  Spanish  stock, 
exploration  and   settlement,  the  story  of  the  Acadians,  the  melodramatic 
career  of   La  Fitte  and   his  followers,  and  the  chivalrous  exploits  of  the 
people  on  many  occasions,  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  locality  of  more 
graphic  interest." 

"While  the  stories  of  exploits  of  great  bodies  of  men  fill  a  larger  place 
in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  I  have  always  had  a  fondness  for  the  extraordi- 
nary in  family  history  and  the  tragedy  of  individual  careers,"  replied  the 
Growler;  "  and  you  can  often  find  the  capacity  for  noble  deeds  and  stirring 
action  under  the- most  unassuming  exterior.  There  could  be  no  romance 
of  greater  interest  nor  any  more  dramatic  recital  penned  than  the  stories 
that  could  be  culled  from  the  family  histories  of  this  section  of  Louisiana. 
For  instance,  here  is  Crowley,  which  we  have  passed  while  we  talked. 
From  here  the  Eunice  branch  runs  northward  through  a  section  of  wonder- 
ful beauty  and  fertility,  which  invites  the  settler  by  every  promise  that  can 
appeal  to  his  ambition  or  his  comfort.  Crowley  is  a  new  town,  built  up  Crowley,  a 
since  1887  by  the  remarkable  enterprise  of  the  Duson  Brothers.  The  land  class  of 

.    .  ,  hustlers. 

was  then  worth  from  $1.00  to  $4.00  per  acre.  Ihey  laid  out  the  place, 
built  a  big  schoolhouse,  got  people  to  come  there,  secured  the  county  seat, 
and  now  they  have  a  flourishing  town  and  the  land  is  worth  $30.00  an  acre. 
Their  career  shows  the  wonderful  influence  of  great  personal  enterprise, 
and  their  family  history  embalms  one  of  those  remarkable  romances  I  have 
spoken  about.  Their  father,  Cornelius  Duson,  as  he  was  known  in  Louisi-  The  story  ot 
ana,  was  born  at  Point  Levis,  on  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  in  Canada,  in  1819. 
He' was  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  six  sons,  and  the  only  one  who,  when 
the  French  rose  against  the  English  in  1837,  sided  with  the  rebels. 
Through  the  influence  of  a  lifelong  companion,  S.  Lombert,  young  Duson, 
as  we  will  call  him,  joined  the  French  revolutionists.  This  caused  a  dis- 
agreement with  his  family,  and  he  left  home  saying  they  would  never  hear 
of  him  again  until  the  grass  was  growing  on  his  grave.  With  a  party  of 
nine  other  patriots  he  started  up  the  Ottawa  River  to  enlist  the  woodmen 
and  trappers  in  the  cause,  but  the  whole  party  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 

47 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  jailer 
don't  indulge 
enough  to  lose 
his  wits. 


English.  Duson  escaped,  but  the  others  were  imprisoned  at  Ottawa.  Our 
hero  determined  to  effect  their  release,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  the 
town,  cultivated  the  acquaintance  of  the  turnkey,  and  sought  to  get  him 
intoxicated.  Failing  in  this,  the  jailor's  suspicions  were  aroused,  and  he 
ordered  young  Duson  to  leave  the  jail.  With  a  pretense  of  complying  the 
youthful  revolutionist  picked  his  hat  up  off  the  floor,  and  with  it  a  stick  of 
wood,  with  which  he  felled  the  jailor,  took  his  keys,  released  the  imprisoned 
patriots,  and  all  started  to  cross  the  river  at  Kingston.  They  were  over- 


taken   by   a    party    of    English   soldiers, 
them  killed,  others  recaptured,  but  Duson, 
wounded  in  the  thigh 
ball,  managed  to 


pursuers,  hid 


some     of 
though 
by  a  rifle- 
elude    h  i  s 
in    the   hut 
of  a  wood- 
man until 
well  enough 

to  travel,  and  then  made 
his  way  to  Boston,  finally 
settling  on  the  Mermen- 
tau    River    in    the   parish    of    St. 
Landry. 

"The  English  offered  a  reward 
•  for  his  capture,  dead  or  alive,  but 
in     peaceful    security    he    married, 
reared    his    family    and    amassed    a 
competence.      He    told    his    family 
many  incidents  of  his  early  life,  of 
his    people    and    friends    in    far-off 
Canada,  but  he  never  told  them  that 
the  name  of  Duson  was  not  his  real  name.     It  was  evident  that  he  intended 
Never  revealed   to  reseive  this  revelation  until  his  last  hour,  but  the  opportunity  for  making 
MS  name.  the  confession  never  came,  as  death  overtook  him  suddenly  and  while  away 

from  home  in  1857.  In  1884  his  two  elder  sons,  C.  C.  and  W.  W.  Duson, 
made  a  visit  to  Canada,  and  hunted  out  the  places  of  which  their  father  had 
so  often  spoken.  The)'  could  find  no  one  who  remembered  him.  At  last 
they  searched  out  the  aged  companion  of  his  youth,  S.  Lombert,  but  he  said 
he  had  never  known  any  one  by  the  name  of  Duson.  The  visitors  insisted, 
and  related  the  incidents  of  their  parent's  childhood,  his  association  with 
Lombert,  and  gave  the  Christian  names  of  their  father's  brothers.  Then  the 
The  ancient  feeble  old  man  burst  into  tears,  and  rising  to  his  feet  with  an  effort  exclaimed, 

friend  recalls        ,  XT  ., 

thefact.  No,  no,  I  see  it  all  now.     Your  name  is  not  Duson,    but   McNaughton. 

•  Let  me  lead  you  to  your  people.'     And  thus  the  family  was  reunited  and 


BRANCH  OF  THE  TABASCO  PEPPER  PLANT. 


LAKE   CHARLES.  4:9 

the  fact  brought  to  light  that  the  youth  who  had  cast  his  fortunes  with  the 
French  cause,  though  he  was  of  Scotch-Irish  stock,  had  changed  his  name, 
and  for  twenty  years  had  maintained  his  secret  and  kept  to  the  letter  the 
vow  that  his  family  should  not  hear  of  him  until  the  grass  grew  on  his  grave." 

The  Colonel  and  the  Growler  retired  to  the  smoking  compartment  for  a 
time.     The  Girl  was  engrossed  with  a  magazine,  and  I  looked  out  of  the 
window  at  the  wide  prairies  that  open  out  to  the  horizon,  dotted  with  com- 
fortable looking  homes,  and  fringed  with  blue  masses  of  trees  which  mark   The  prairie 
with  cypress,  hickory,  ash,  oak  and  gum,  the  margins  of  the  bayous.     The  southwest 
landscape  recalls  that  of  Northwest  Iowa,  or  of  Minnesota,  with  the  possi-   L°U1 
ble  difference  that  it  is  much  better  wooded.     Presently  great  pine  trees 
began  to  appear,  growing  more  dense  as  the  train  sped  on  until  the  wide 
forest    stretched    on    either    hand    and    we    could    look    off   through    cool 
vistas  of  green  as  through  the  pillared  colonnades  of  some  great  temple 
whose  fretted  arches  let  in  the  sifted  sunlight,  and  through  whose  airy  roof 
the  mocking  birds  and  finches  fluttered  with  a  revelry  of  song  and  color. 

As  the  train  ran  into  a  station  where  the  air  was  vocal  with  the  urgent 
appeals  of  hackmen,  and  where  every  indication  pointed  to  the  activities  of  a 
flourishing  city,  the  Colonel  and  the  Growler  returned,  and  the. former  said  :  Lake  Charles, 

"This  is  Lake  Charles — the  best  town  on  the  road  between  New  Orleans  pe^pfeUke'To 
and  Houston.  It  is  essentially  a  northern  city,  with  a  population  of  some  ' 
7,000  people.  Well  built,  with  plenty  of  enterprise,  fine  stores  and  business 
blocks,  an  ideal  climate  and  every  accessory  to  add  comfort  to  living,  it  is 
no  wonder  it  is  growing  rapidly,  and  that  people  like  to  come  here.  Its 
location  on  one  of  the  most  beautiful  lakes  in  the  country — a  body  of  clear 
deep  water,  two  and  a  half  miles  long  and  about  as  wide,  through  which 
flows  the  Calcasieu  River  on  its  way  to  the  gulf — is  admirable.  The  river 
from  the  lake  to  the  gulf  is  broad  and  deep,  affording  uninterrupted  navi- 
gation, and  the  present  Government  improvements  to  the  harbor  at  its 
mouth  will  make  it  a  splendid  anchorage  for  craft  of  any  draft.  Lake 
Charles  is  the  capital  of  a  parish  which  is  as  large  as  the  State  of  Delaware 
or  the  Kingdom  of  Denmark.  The  accomplishments  of  its  people  are  The 
marvelous  when  one  recalls  that  as  late  as  the  declaration  of  independence  of  ti 
by  Texas,  both  Mexico  and  the  United  States  laid  claim  to  the  territory  years- 
lying  between  the  Calcasieu — or  Rio  Hondo,  as  it  was  then  called — and  the 
Sabine  River.  The  settlers  who  came  here  were  given  titles  to  640  acres. 
Up  to  as  late  as  twenty  years  ago  these  claims,  called  Rio  Hondo  claims, 
could  sometimes  be  bought  for  a  few  dollars.  The  lake,  and  later  the  town, 
were  named  for  Charles  Sallier,  a  Swiss,  who  settled  there  in  1816.  The 
early  settlers  were  a  social  and  law-abiding  class,  who  thought  nothing  of 
visiting  a  neighbor  or  going  to  a  dance  twenty  miles  away.  Marriage  cere- 
monies were  at  first  regarded  as  luxuries  because  at  that  time  it  was  a 


50 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


too. 


pioneeringhad  journey  of  ioo  miles  to  Opelousas  where  a  license  could  be  procured.  The 
cattle  they  raised  were  driven  through  the  swamps  to  New  Orleans.  But  in 
spite  of  these  pioneer  discouragements  the  population  increased,  and 
to-day  the  people  look  back  with  pride  upon  the  achievements  of  the  past." 

As  the  train  drew  away  from  the  station,  skirted  the  head  of  the  lake, 
and  plunged  into  the  pine  woods  beyond,  the  Growler  said  : 

"  The  sulphur  mine  is  but  ten  miles  beyond." 

"  What  sulphur  mine  ?"  asked  the  Girl. 

"There  is  a  very  remarkable  deposit  of  sulphur  at  the  point  indicated/' 


The  sulphur 
and  petroleum 
fields. 


Early  known 
but  little  used. 


CRKOLK   WOMEN    WEAVING   COTTONADE. 


was  the  reply.  "  Petroleum  of  an  excellent  quality  for  lubricating  purposes 
has  been  struck  at  the  same  place.  The  oil  region  extends  over  some 
200,000  acres,  and  on  the  coast,  thirty  miles  from  the  sulphur  borings,  it  is 
poured  out  upon  the  gulf  waters  in  quantities  sufficient  to  cover  several 
square  miles.  The  sulphur  strata  is  sixty  feet  in  thickness,  but  it  was  long 
protected  by  several  beds  of  quicksand  overlying  it.  In  vain  fortunes  were 
spent  trying  to  sink  shafts  for  the  purpose  of  reaching  and  mining  the 
product.  But  at  last  the  Standard  Oil  people  purchased  the  property,  and 
sent  down  an  expert,  who  drove  a  tubing  into  the  strata,  and  by  pumping 
down  water  is  enabled  to  pump  the  mineral  up.  As  far  back  as  1820  the 
settlers  knew  of  the  existence  of  petroleum,  and  they  resorted  to- the  places 
where  it  oozed  from  the  ground  as  a  black  and  pasty  mass  to  gather  it, 
tho'  their  only  use  for  it  was  to  grease  the  axles  of  their  wagons  and  to 
protect  their  implements  from  rust." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    GREAT    LUMBER    DISTRICTS    OF    WESTERN    LOUISIANA    AND    TEXAS — THE 
FORESIGHT    THAT    GAVE    THEM    TO    THE    WORLD. 

AKE  CHARLES,  Louisiana,  and  Beaumont,  Texas,  are  the  eastern  and  Lumber 

western  boundaries  of  the  denser  of  those  great  pine  districts  which   southwestern 
fringe  the  Calcasieu,  Pabine.   Neches  and  Trinity  rivers.     The  Southern   j£"ternna  and 
Pacific  runs  through  this  splendid  timber  belt  for  a  distance  which  may  be  Texas 
approximately  set  down  as  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and  at  the  towns 
named  and  others,  the  tourist  catches  a  glimpse  of  the  great  mills  which 
annually  transform  rough  logs  into  hundreds  of  millions  of  feet  of  mer- 
chantable lumber.     At  no  other  points  in  the  world  are  the  operations  con- 
ducted upon  a  vaster  scale.     The  capacity  of  the  great  mills  is  fabulous, 
their  machinery  is  of  the  latest  design,  and  with  a  single  circular  they  often 
cut  from   100,000  to  120,000  feet  per  day.     Two  hundred  varieties  of  valu- 
able timber  are  at  their  disposal,  tho'  the  yellow  pine  is  by  far  the  most 
abundant. 

"  Did  you  ever  go  into  a  large  modern  sawmill?"  the  Growler  asked  me. 

I  replied  in  the  negative,  and  he  said  : 

"  It  is  a  sight  you  would  not  be  likely  to  forget.  Rafted  down  from  the  The  way  they 
the  place  where  it  is  cut,  the  great  logs  lie  in  booms,  a  chain  drags  them 
into  the  mill,  where  steel  fingers  toss  them  on  a  sliding  table.  With  incon- 
ceivable rapidity  they  are  thrown  backward  and  forward  against  the  great 
circular  saw  which  goes  through  them  as  tho'  they  were  so  much  butter. 
The  three  or  four  colored  experts,  who  stand  on  this  platform  and  operate 
the  levers  that  control  the  log,  work  like  demons  and  look  like  them,  as 
they  are  dashed  to  and  fro  through  the  cloud  of  sawdust.  The  roar  of  the 
machinery,  the  terrible  gnawing  of  the  saw,  the  mad  plunging  of  the  log, 
all  make  up  a  scene  of  indescribable  interest,  and  unconsciously  one's 
thoughts  are  directed  to  the  innumerable  processes  by  which  the  needs  of 
civilized  man  are  ministered  to." 

When  the  train  stopped  at  Orange  a  portly  gentleman  boarded  the  car.   The  lumber- 
The  Colonel  rose  and  greeted  him  as  an  old  acquaintance,  and  introduced   the  train, 
him  to  the  rest  of  us  as  Mr.  Henry  J.  Lutcher.     "  Mr.  Lutcher  has  been  so 
closely  identified  with  the  development  of  the  lumber  interests  here  that  he 
can  tell  us  something  that  will  be  of  interest,  I  know,"  said  the  Colonel, 

51 


THE   GREAT   LUMBER   DISTRICTS. 


53 


after  that  gentleman  had  explained  that  he  was  going  over  to  Houston  on  a 
brief  business  trip. 

"  If  I  did  that,  I  should  have  to  tell  you  my  own  experience,"  replied 
Mr.  L. 

"  It  will  doubtless  be  instructive,"  the  Colonel  said. 

"Well,"  replied  the  lumber  king  of  Orange,  "up  to  the  time  I  was  six-   And  sketches 

,  ,  ,    •  .,  f  .......       the  history  of  a 

teen  years  of  age  Maine  was  the  great  source  of  supply  for  lumber  in  this  great  industry, 
country.  Monopolies  soon  secured  control  of  the  output,  for  shrewd  men 
came  to  realize  its  value.  Then  the  Adirondacks  were  taken  possession  of, 
and  later,  in  the  early  '505,  the  timber  on  the  Susquehanna  and  in  the  Alle- 
gheny region  was  levied  upon.  By  1865,  Williamsport,  Pa.,  which  was  my 
home,  had  become  the  great 
lumber  center  of  the  country. 
I  can  recall 
the  long 
trains  of 
wagons 


A   WESTERN    LOUISIANA    HOME. 


that,  carrying  this  product,  went  west  by  what  was  known  as  the  '  Cherry 
Tree'  route,  across  the  headwaters  of  the  Susquehanna.  Then  with  cheap 
freights  on  the  lakes  Michigan  became  pre-eminently  the  source  of  supply. 
In  1877  I  had  a  mill  at  Williamsport,  but  recognized  that  to  achieve  any 
large  measure  of  success  one  must  have  the  advantage  of  cheap  stumpage 
and  profit  by  the  increase  of  values." 

"And   how  was  your  attention   directed    to   this   then    far-off   point?" 
inquired  the  Growler. 

"Almost  by  chance,  if  not  entirely  so,"  replied  Mr.  Lutcher.     "I  was  Uke  drawing 
talking  the  matter  over  one  day  with  my  parter,  who  fully  agreed  with  me.  lottery. 
'But  where  shall  we  go?'  he  asked.     I  happened  to  look  down  into  the 
waste-basket  which  stood  beside  my  desk,  and  my  eye  fell  on   the  word 
'Texas'  in  a  newspaper.     I  picked  the  sheet  up,  and  it  contained  a  map  of 


Original  forest 
of  the 
Mississippi 
Valley. 


Timber  in  this 
district 
sometimes 
runs  as  high  as 
30,000  feet  to 
the  acre. 


54  THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 

the  Sabine  River  and  a  reference  to  its  timber  supply.  At  once  the 
thought  of  putting  up  mills  and  wing  dams  on  these  streams  struck  me. 
Both  my  partner  and  I  made  a  trip  to  Washington  to  consult  the  Texas 
congressmen,  and  Judge  Ragan  told  us  the  finest  timber  on  earth  was 
in  Eastern  Texas.  We  came  south  early  in  1877,  found  the  railroad  only 
built  as  far  east  as  Beaumont,  took  horses  and  spent  five  or  six  weeks  in  the 
great  forests.  We  went  up  the  western  side  of  the  Sabine  and  were 
delighted  ;  but  when  we  crossed  at  Bird's  Ferry  and  came  down  on  the 
Louisiana  side,  we  found  the  finest  body  of  timber  that  I  had  ever  seen. 
Later  I  looked  upon  what  I  believe  was  the  original  forest  of  this  valley,  on 
the  Red  River,  in  Cataboola  and  Wind  parishes,  where  the  trees  were  all 
three  and  one-half  to  four  feet  in  diameter,  but  of  so  great  an  age  that  they 
were  rotten  at  the  heart.  Of  this  Sabine  River  timber  we  bought  great 
tracts  at  $1.25  an  acre,  but  not  until  I  instituted  an  investigation  and 
found  that  the  total  Texas  consumption  of  lumber  was  about  70,000,000 
feet,  of  which  at  least  40,000,000  feet  was  imported.  The  largest  mill  in 
the  state  had  at  that  time  a  capacity  of  10,000  feet  per  day.  In  the  spring 
of  that  same  year  I  landed  with  a  mill  which  had  a  capacity  of  100,000  feet 
per  day,  and  put  it  up  and  begun  operations  in  three  months.  People 
thought  we  were  crazy,  but,"  Mr.  Lutcher  added,  with  a  smile,  "  we  were 
not,  and  to-day  ships  leave  the  Sabine  Pass  carrying  lumber  to  Europe  and 
all  South  American  countries." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


FROM     THE     TEXAS     BORDER     TO     THE     CITY    OF    THE    ALAMO,    WITH    POSSIBLE 
REFERENCES    TO    THINGS    ALONG    THE    WAY. 

HAT  a  funny  name  for  a  station!"  said  the  Girl,  consulting  a 
guide. 

"What  is  it?"  I  asked. 

"  Sour  Lake." 

"It  has  the  merit  of  being  expressive,"  replied  the  Colonel.     "Seven   Here's  the 
miles  off  the  line  of  the  road,  and  connecting  with  trains  by  stage,  is  Sour  ?ompiexion°U 
Lake  itself,  so  named  because  of  the  quality  of  its  water  and  the  soil  upon   . 
its  margin.     The  water  and  mud  baths  here  have  wonderful  curative  prop- 
erties in  cases  of  skin  disease,  and  perhaps  in  other  ailments.     In  the  hands 
of  parties  who  had  the  money  and  enterprise  to  provide  more  modern  and 
adequate  accommodations  and  better  facilities  for   reaching  the   lake,  it 
would  develop  into  a  noted  health  resort.     At  present  it  is  not  so  widely 
known  as  its  merits  warrant,  but  it  is  destined  to  become  a  Mecca  for  cer- 
tain classes  of  invalids." 

From  the  Sabine  to  San  Antonio  there  are  a  succession  of  thrifty  towns 
which  bespeak  local  prosperity  and  enterprise.  The  roadway  itself  is  a 
delight  to  the  tourist.  Like  the  equipment  of  the  trains  and  the  service  of 
the  employes,  it  is  a  very  near  approach  to  perfection.  There  is  in  all  the  A  modest  word 

,  .    .       .  .  r     \       r^  about  the  road 

country  no  more  superb  roadbed  than  that  which  the  trains  of  the  Southern  you  travel  over. 
Pacific  traverse  in  their  flight  from  the  Crescent  City  to  the  Golden  Gate. 
Ballasted  with  rock,  the  greatest  attention  has  been  bestowed  upon  the  per- 
manence of  its  construction.  The  tourist  may  stand  for  hours  upon  the 
rear  platform  of  the  train,  anywhere  across  the  wide  plains  of  Texas  or 
Arizona,  and  see  the  same  long,  even,  substantial  line  of  rock  ballast  stretch- 
ing out  behind,  each  stone  apparently  laid  with  scrupulous  care.  At  regular 
intervals  are  attractive  and  commodious  section-houses,  neat  in  the  glory  of 
bright  paint  and  immaculate  whitewash,  each  with  its  trim  garden  plot  about 
it  and  the  refreshing  green  of  near-by  trees.  At  the  station-houses  bits  of 
garden  brighten  the  landscape,  and  the  sunset  symbol  of  the  company  is 
conspicuously  wrought  in  stone  to  diversify  some  otherwise  waste  place. 

It  was  near  Crosby,  eighty-four  miles  west  of  the  Louisiana  line,  that  the 
battle  of  San  Jacinto  was  fought  April  12,  1836,  and  the  independence  of 
Texas  practically  secured. 

55 


56 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Texas. 


We  all  know  that  Texas  is  a  big  state.      We  have   heard  that  since  we 

toddled  to  school  in  early  infancy.     But  we  are  apt  to  forget  just  how  great 

an  empire  it  is.     Even  when  we  recall  that  it  is  800  miles  from  east  to  west, 

just  to  give  you  and  750  north  and  south,  it  does  not  give  us  so  clear  an  idea  as  to  remember 

a  faint  idea  of      .  .   .  .      ,  .  . 

the  size  of         that  either  of  these  distances  is  almost  equivalent  to  a  journey  from  New 

York  to  Chicago,  or  from  ^_ ^  Chicago  to   New 

Orleans,    or   from  ^^"~  ~^--^          San    Francisco 

to  Salt  Lake  City.        .ggjjj  ^v     Texas  is  eleven 

times  as  large  as       ^|  |  >^  the  State  of 

New  York.  It 
is  two  hundred 
and  eleven 


COURT   HOUSE,    HOUSTON. 


times  the  size  of  Rhode  Island.  It  has  four  hundred  and  eleven  miles  of 
coast  line  :  its  navigable  rivers  equal  those  of  any  other  five  states,  and 
within  the  265,780  square  miles  of  its  domain  are  9,500  miles  of  railroad. 
The  value  of  its  agricultural  and  manufactured  products  reach  the  sum  of 
$185,000,000,  and  it  has  a  permanent  school  fund  of  $100,000,000.  We 
think  of  it  as  an  agricultural  state,  but  it  has  vast  deposits  of  coal,  iron, 
copper,  gypsum,  rock  salt,  asphaltum,  mica,  granite  and  petroleum.  The 
resources  of  its  great  forests  are  almost  as  inexhaustible  as  those  of  its  rich 
soil,  which  affords  the  greatest  diversity  of  crops  in  abundant  reward  to 
the  farmer. 

When  our  party  reached  Houston  we  all  got  out  at  the  big  and  bustling 


FROM   THE   TEXAS   BORDER   TO   THE   CITY   OF   THE   ALAMO.        57 


station   to  look  at  the  beautiful  park  and  get  a  momentary  insight  into  the   Houston,  362 

...         .     .  miles  from 

DUSy  life  Of  the  town.  New  Orleans. 

"This  is,  in   my  judgment,  the  future  great  city  of  this   part  of  the 
country,"  said   the  Growler.     "  Named  for  a  man  whose  life  history  is  as 
strange  as  the   phantasies  of  a  delirium,  it  has  become  the  center  of  a  sub 
stantial  and  expanding  commerce.     Sam  Houston  was  a  brilliant  and  brave 
man,  who  had  the  distinction  of  being  a  renowned  soldier,  the  governor  of   Named  for  the 

..  .      hero  of  San 

two  states,  a  member  of  congress  and  the  President  of  1  exas  when  it  jacinto. 
achieved  its  independence  through  the  decisive  blow  which  he  struck  in  the 
battle  of  San  Jacinto  where  he  annihilated  the  Mexican  army.  The  only 
blot  upon  his  reputation  —  and  whether  that  was  one  or  not  we  can  only 
guess — was  his  strange  abandonment  of  his  wife  and  career  in  Tennessee 
and  his  alliance  with  the  Cherokee  Indians.  What  i  motives  impelled 
him,  or  what  crisis  prompted  to  i  so  extreme  an  act 

he  never  told,  and  perhaps  we  dgtfHfl  JjJJK-ll,.  had    better 

not  guess." 

"  At  any  rate  a  great  and 
growing  city  has  sprung 
up  here  in   sixty   years," 
replied    the   Colonel. 
"The    fortv    thousand 


MARKKT  AND  CITY   HALL,    HOUSTON. 


people  who    live  here  A  thrifty  giant 

.      among  our 

to-day  enjoy  every  ad-  cities, 
vantage  of  municipal 
life.  The  pines  that 
fringe  it  about  are  the 
western  sentinels  of 
the  great  forests  we 
have  been  passing 
through.  Wide  reaches 


of  primeval  oak,  in  the  somber  drapery  of  the  Spanish  moss,  are  near  at 
hand,  interspersed  with  sycamore,  pecan,  hickory,  ash  and  cypress.  Here 
the  magnolia  grandiflora  attains  a  luxuriance  I  know  not  of  anywhere 
else.  It  is  but  forty  miles  by  air  line  to  the  gulf,  and  the  summer  heats 
are  cooled  and  winter  chill  dissipated  by  the  equable  breezes  that  blow 


FROiM   THE   TEXAS   BORDER   TO  THE   CITY   OF  THE   ALAMO.         59 


from  that  great  body  of  water.  The  city  is  at  the  head  of  tide-water  on 
Buffalo  Bayou,  which  has  from  ten  to  twenty-three  feet  of  water  between 
this  point  and  the  gulf.  But,  as  the  great  railway  center  of  the  state,  it  is 
pre-eminent  as  a  receiving  and  distributing  depot,  for  eleven  trunk  lines 
enter  here.  I  could 
give  you  some  statis- 
tics which  might  be 
useful  if  you  did  not 
think  them  dry." 

"  Give  us  the  statis- 
tics, Colonel,"  I  said. 

"  But  not  too  many, 
papa."  the  Girl  added. 


"A  woman  rarely 
sees  the  advantage  of 
figures,"  the  Colonel 
commenced,  referring 
to  a  little  book  he  car- 
ried, "  but  they  convey 
facts  in  a  condensed 
way  as  no  other  form 

MAIN    STREET,    FROM   CAPITOL    HILL,    HOUSTON.  r  -11 

of   statement   possibly 

can.     For  instance,  it  is  easy  enough  to  announce  that  the  climate  of  a   The  colonel 
particular  place  is  equable,  but  it  conveys  a  more  rational  impression  when   the'tempt^tion 
I  say  that  the  average  temperature  in  Houston  in  summer  is  80°  and  in   *£"' 
winter  60°.     The  actual  valuation  of  property  would  probably  be  consider- 
ably above  fifty  millions  of  dollars.     As  a  cotton  market  Houston  outranks 
all  the  other  cities  of  the  Southwest,  being  exceeded  only  by  New  Orleans 
in  point  of  receipts.     Upon  the  floor  of  its  cotton  exchange  can  be  found 
English,  French  and  German  dealers,  as  well  as  local  buyers  who  represent 
foreign  houses.     The  receipts  of  the  staple  are  in  excess  of  400,000  bales 
per  year.     It  will  soon  be  a  great  rice  center  as  well.     Her  lumber  trade 
amounts  to  over  $15,000,000  per  annum,  and  the  extent  of  her  miscellaneous 
manufacturing  can   be  understood  when    I   say  that  there  are  about  two 


60  THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 

hundred  establishments,  with  a  total  invested  capital  exceeding  $4,000,000 
and  an  output  of  over  $7,000,000,  and  giving  employment  to  more  than 
5,000  employes.  The  great  machine  and  car  shops  employ  2,000  men.  The 
jobbing  trade  of  the  city  reaches  throughout  the  entire  Southwest  and  is  esti- 
mated at  $30,000,000  a  year.  As  a  final  summing  up  of  these  few  random 
figures,  I  might  say  that  the  volume  of  business  transacted  in  the  local 
clearing  house  is  about  $250,000,000  per  year." 

Butwhatshe  "Well,"  said  the  Girl,  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  "I'm  glad  you  didn't  go  into 

know  was—       the  subject  any  more  fully,  and  I  don't  remember  a  single  one  of  your  old 
totals.     What  I  want  to  know  is,  what  kind  of  a  place  is  it  to  live  in  ? " 

"  I'm  sure  I  scarcely  know  how  to  answer,"  replied  the  Colonel,  who  was 
somewhat  disconcerted  at  the  effect  his  statistics  had  produced  upon  his 
daughter.  "  It's  a  very  charming  city,  with  a  compact,  handsomely  built 
business  center,  and  lovely  residence  streets  stretching  into  delightful  sub- 
urbs. It  has  the  finest  system  of  electric  street  railways,  electric  lights, 
and  water  and  sewage  systems  you  will  find  anywhere.  There  are  a  great 
many  delightful  places  of  resort  about  the  city,  and  its  people  are  cultivated 
and  hospitable.  Now  what  else  could  I  say?" 

"Not  a  thing,"  said  the  Girl,  laughingly;  "you  have  done  splendidly, 
papa,  and  in  spite  of  your  dry  statistics  I  believe  I  wouldn't  mind  living  in 
Houston." 


I 


CHAPTER    IX. 

SAN    ANTONIO ITS    OLD-TIME    INTEREST    AND    LATTER-DAY    PROGRESS — 

THE    MISSIONS THE    BIRTH    OF    THE    OPAL. 

T    was   part    of   our    plan    to  stop   over  a  day   in    San  Antonio.     The   San  Antonio, 
Growler    had    protested    that  it   would   be    just    as   well    to   go    right   Ne^orteans!1 
through  as  to  devote  but  a  day  to  the  most  beautiful  city  in  all  the  long  feet.at1' 
stretch  of  country  between  New  Orleans  and  Los  Angeles,  but  the  Colonel, 
while  he  acquiesced  in  all  the  Growler  said  as  to  the  fascinations  of  the 
place,  protested  that  it  was  much  better  to  make  a  hurried  inspection  than 
to  see  nothing. 

"We  will  lose  no  time,"  said  he,  and  putting  this  resolution  into  prac 
tice,  he  had  a  carriage  at  the  door  of  our  hotel  almost  as  soon  as  the  affable 
clerk  had  assigned  us  to  our  rooms. 

"  Where  away  ?  "  he.  inquired. 

"  To  the  Missions  !  "  exclaimed  the  Girl. 

We  assented,  and  the  driver  whipped  up  his  horses.    Through  the  paved   on  the  way  to 

the  Missions. 

business  streets  lined  with  handsome  stores,  past  the  exquisite  little  plaza 
that,  like  a  gem,  is  set  down  in  the  heart  of  the  city  ;  the  white  stone 
government  building,  with  its  romanesque  architecture,  its  mediaeval  tower 
and  bold-angled  turret,  and  its  row  of  arches  and  arcades  that  belie  the 
accusation  that  federal  architecture  is  a  failure ;  and  then  on  into  the 
suburbs,  through  tree-embossed  cottages,  we  rode.  Then  the  highway 
crept  sinuously  into  the  country,  taking  its  way  through  cool  and  pretty 
bits  of  woodland  and  across  the  pebbly  beds  of  running  streams,  until  the 
gray,  severe  walls  of  the  Mission  of  the  Conception  came  into  view  two  The 
miles  from  the  plaza.  The  general  plan  is  that  of  a  cruciform  church,  joined  the  first. 
on  the  south  by  the  monastery  and  sacristy  buildings.  Above  the  square 
double  doors  is  a  triangular  facade,  and  in  angular  spaces  a  Latin  legend 
invokes  homage  to  the  Mission  patroness  and  princess.  On  each  corner  of  the 
western  end  is  a  square  tower,  but  the  bells  that  once  hung  in  them  are  gone. 

"  It  must  have  been  gorgeous  long  ago,"  said  the  Growler,  pointing  with 
his  cane  to  the  front  of  the  edifice.  ''One  can  still  discover  traces  of  the 
gaudy  yellow  frescoes  representing  dressed  stones,  ornamented  with  red 
and  blue  quartrefoil  crosses." 

As  we  drove  on  the  Colonel  pointed  out  the  spot,  near  the  crossing  of 

61 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Where  a  blow 
was  struck  for 
freedom. 


Looking  off 
from  the  tower 
of  San  Jose. 


the  San  Antonio  River,  where  was  fought  in  1835  tne  ^rst  battle  for  Texas 
independence. 

"The  Mission  of  San  Jose,  the  oldest  and  richest  of  them  all,"  he  said, 
as  the  second  ruin  came  in  sight.  "  It  was  completed  March  5,  1731.  The 
grand  fagade,  at  the  main  entrance,  shows  what  cunning  workmen  were  the 
priests,  for  it  is  a  delicate  piece  of  carving,  rising  in  pillared  arch  from  the 
foundation,  and  culminating  above  in  a  wreath  of  acanthus-like  curves  and 
conchoids.  On  either  side  were  statues  of  saints,  and  above  a  representa- 
tion of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  The  massive  doors  were  of  native 
cedar,  with  panels  of  mesquite  carved  in  high  relief." 

We  climbed  the  steep  winding  stairway  made  of  self-supporting  slabs  of 
oak  that  led  into  the  tower  at  the  southwest  corner,  and  looked  out  over  the 
scene  at  our  feet.  All  about  the  old  Mission,  with  its  range  of  cloisters  and 
cells,  was  silent.  The  deserted  and  crumbling  walls  were  spectral.  In 
December,  1868,  the  falling  of  the  main  dome  and  roof  made  wreck  of  this 
fair  place. 

Still  two  miles  farther,  and  near  by  the  San  Juan  ford  of  the  river,  the 
Mission  of  San  Juan  de  Capistrano,  named  for  a  Franciscan  friar  born  in 
Capistrano,  Italy,  in  1386,  came  into  view.  One  bell  still  swings  in  the 
pierced  arch  high  above  the 
eastern  wall.  The  almost 
entirely  obliterated 


THE  CATHEDRAL   IN   SAN   ANTONIO. 


frescoes  convey  but  little 
idea  of  their  once  great 
beauty,  but  in  the  glory- 
The  rewards  of  days  of  the  church  they  were  famous  far  and  wide,  yet  now  even  the  name 
such.ari  of  the  artist  whose  brush  wrought  them  is  forgotten.  About  the  old  walls  is 

a  cluster  of  Mexican  huts  where  children  play  and  men  lounge  about  smoking 
cigarettes.  Directly  across  the  river  is  an  old  adobe  saloon,  where  a  gaudy 
sign  announces  the  cock  fight  that  takes  place  every  Sunday. 


SAN   ANTONIO. 


63 


The  Mission  of  San  Francisco  de  la  Espada  is  the  last  of  the  chain 
extending  southward.  This  was  the  first  camping  ground  of  the  Texas 
army,  and  it  was  here  that  Stephen  F.  Austin  took  command  of  the  forces. 
Forty  years  ago  the  church  was  almost  a  complete  ruin  when  Father 
Boucher,  the  liuie  French  padre,  came  to  lead  the  devo- 
tions of  the  SCat-  A/^^  \^^ — < -—^  tered  flock.  He  worked  as 


TYPICAL    MEXICAN   JACAL   NEAR   SAN   ANTONIO. 

restored  it,  and  while  he  ha?  been  pastor  and  schoolmaster,  he  has  likewise 
been  carpenter  and  stonemason. 

As  we  turned  to  drive  back  to  the  city  by  a  different  way,  the  Colonel 
looked  out  over  the  landscape  and  said  :  "What  devotion  and  self-renun- 
ciation all  this  labor  stands  for.  These  Franciscans  came  into  the  wilder- 
ness and  bound  its  then  uttermost  parts  to  the  world  by  their  chain  of 
Missions,  and  hemmed  the  fringe  of  civilization  upon  the  ragged  garment 
of  savagery." 

"And  this  is  civilization  !  "  replied  the  Growler,  pessimistically,  as  we 
passed  the  splendid  buildings  of  the  State  Insane  Asylum. 

"Yes  this  is  civilization,  if  you  will,"  the  Colonel  responded;  "a  humani-   what  we  really 

i          i        •      i  •      i_         i.      >     i  j    need  is  more  of 

tarian  socialism  where  man  recognizes  that  he  is  his  brother  s  keeper  and   them, 
cares  for  him  in  the  time  of  his  distress." 

Just  before  reaching  the  city  we  came  to  the  Army  post — Camp  Sam 
Houston— occupying  an  eligible  site  of  162  acres  overlooking  the  city.  Its 
extensive  buildings  of  stone,  its  wide  sweep  of  perfectly  level  parade- 
ground,  and  the  high  and  graceful  clock  tower  which  rises  from  the  quad- 
rangular plaza,  make  it  an  interesting  place  for  the  visitor. 

"  This  is  the  new — now  for  the  old  !  "  exclaimed  the  Colonel.     "  Here 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  Alamo  and 
its  sacred 
memories. 


Begun  as  a 
church  in  1716, 
occupied  as  a 
military  post 
in  1718. 


is  the  substantial  beauty  of  structure  and  the  suggestiveness  of  modern 
power — the  visible  sign  of  a  great  nation.  Now  let  us  go  to  where  a  few 
old  walls  make  hallowed  ground  to  those  who  venerate  the  heroism  of  men 
who  could  die  for  a  principle." 

"The  Alamo?"  I  asked. 

"The  Alamo!"  the  Colonel  responded.  "If  deeds  of  daring  sanctify 
the  soil  that  witnesses  them  that  should  be  to  every  American  one  of  the 
sacred  places  of  the  land." 

We  soon  alighted  in  front  of  the  old  church  and  entered  its  broad  portal. 
A  hundred  and  seventy-nine  years  have  elapsed  since  its  foundations  were 


begun.  Its  early  history  would  be  filled  with  the  interest  of  tradition  were 
it  not  for  the  fact  that  one  glorious  deed  of  sacrifice  dwarfs  all  that  went 
before.  Here  on  March  6,  1836,  one  hundred  and  eighty-one  citizen- 
soldiers,  untrained  to  war,  fought  more  than  twenty  times  their  number,  and 
scorning  to  retreat  deliberately  chose  to  die.  The  fight  began  February  23d, 
when  the  Mexican  army  under  Santa  Anna  began  the  assault.  The  attack 
was  continued  day  and  night,  and  each  time  the  Mexican  column  was  hurled 
back  with  frightful  loss.  Each  day  witnessed  supreme  examples  of  heroism 
on  the  part  of  the  beleagured  men.  One  of  the  most  inspiring  of  these  was 
the  sacrifice  of  James  Butler  Bonham,  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and  the 
friend  of  Colonel  Travis,  who  commanded  the  Alamo  forces.  He  had  been 
sent  to  Fannin  and  the  government  with  appeals  for  aid,  which  were  unavail- 
ing. On  March  2d,  he  reached,  on  his  return,  a  hill  overlooking  the  scene 
of  the  siege,  accompanied  by  two  companions.  Realizing  the  situation  these 
associates  saw  no  necessity  for  further  progress,  and  demanded  of  Bonham 
that  they  retire.  The  reply  of  Bonham  immortalizes  him.  He  said,  "  I  will 


SAN   ANTONIO. 


65 


The  bloodshed 
that  glorified 
the  old  church. 


report  the  result  of  my  mission  to  Colonel  Travis.  He  expects  it  of  me.  I 
have  to  tell  him  there  is  no  prospect  of  reinforcements,  that  he  has  but  to 
die  in  defending  his  cause,  and  that  I  come  to  die  with  him."  Then  bidding 
farewell  to  his  companions,  mounted  on  a  cream-colored  horse,  through  the 
lines  of  the  enemy  and  amid 
showers  of  bullets,  this  gallant 
son  of  South  Carolina  rode  to  his 
death.  The  gates  of  the  fortress 
opened  to  receive  him,  and  he 
presented  himself  to  his  chief,  the 
noblest  incident  in  history  of  stern 
adherence  to  solemn  duty  without 
regard  to  person.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  6th  of  March  a  general 
assault  took  place.  Slowly  the 
noble  Texans  were  driven  back 
until  inside  the  church  they  made 
their  last  stand.  No  quarter  was 
asked,  none  granted.  Each 
Texan  died  desperately,  in  hand- 
to-hand  conflict  with  overpower- 
ing numbers.  Col.  James  Bowie, 
sick  and  unable  to  rise,  was  bay- 
oneted in  his  bed.  Col.  David 
Crockett  died  amid  a  circle  of 
slaughtered  foes.  Travis  fell 
upon  the  wall  where  he  was  giv- 
ing inspiration  to  his  men.  When 
the  last  Texan  died  the  floor  was 

nearly  ankle-deep  in  blood,  and  ghastly  corpses  were  heaped  everywhere.  By 
order  of  Santa  Ana  the  bodies  were  piled  in  heaps  and  burned.  On  the 
monument  to  these  immortal  dead  Texas  writes  an  inscription  so  great  that 
it  makes  the  heart  stand  still :  "Thermopylae  had  its  messenger  of  defeat  — 
the  Alamo  had  none." 

Our  party  scattered  after  this.  The  Growler  said  he  was  going  out  to 
San  Pedro  Springs  to  see  the  park  and  the  menagerie,  but  I  suspected  that 
he  had  in  mind  the  excellences  of  the  famous  San  Antonio  beer,  rather  than 
any  desire  to  study  zoology  or  seek  communion  with  nature. 

The  Colonel  and  the  Girl  started  out  to  visit  the  great  Cathedral  of  San   The  cathedral 
Fernando  on  the  military  plaza.     It  was  begun  in  1734  and  reconstructed 
in  large  part  in  1868.     It  contains  the  beautiful  old  altar  rescued  from  the 
ruins  of  the  Mission  of  San  Jose. 


A   MISSION    DOOR. 


Every  man 
died  fighting, 
and  none  asked 
for  quarter. 


SAN   ANTONIO. 


67 


As  for  myself  I  strolled  idly  about  the  city,  charmed  by  its  architecture, 
its  modern  bustle  and  life,  the  intense  cleanliness  of  the  city,  which  in  part 
is  due  to  the  white  stone  and  creamy  brick  so  generally  used  in  its  buildings, 
and  in  part  to  its  excellent  sanitary  care.  The  San  Antonio  River,  a  deep,  Thecityandit* 
narrow  stream,  whose  water  is  a  wonderful  turquois-blue,  winds  in  and  out  rwer*~fe< 
all  through  the  city,  spanned  by  fifteen  or  sixteen  bridges.  Then  I  looked 
in  at  the  splendid  new  county  court  house  and  city  hall,  leisurely  strolled 
through  the  residence  streets  lined  with  handsome  houses,  embowered  in  a 
wealth  of  shrubbery  and  perfumed  by  the  flowers  that  riot  on  the  lawns. 
And  finally  I  drifted  back  to  the  San  Antonio  Club,  whose  luxurious  quar- 
ters overlooking  the  delightful  plaza  are  a  joy  forever  to  the  clubman. 

That  evening  we  did   what  all  tourists  do — made  a  trip  through  the 
Mexican  quarter  of  the  town.     We  had  seen  their  houses,  or  jacals  of  stone 
and   adobe  or  of  mud  and  sticks  ;  we  had  seen  the  people  in  picturesque 
groups  in  their  doorways,  but  in  the   evening  on   Milam  Square  we  found 
them  in   the  characteristic  attitudes  of  idleness.     Here   long  tables  were  scenes  in  the 
spread,  illuminated  by  large  mediaeval-looking  lanterns  stuck  upon  posts,  quarter'of  the 
and  spread  with  chili-concarne,  tamales,  frijoles,  enchiladas,  chili  verde  and 
tortillas,  so  hot  with  cayenne  pepper  that   a  mouthful   feels  like  a  mustard 


THE   TOWER   AT    THE   ARMY   TOST,    SAN   ANTONIO,    TEXAS. 

plaster  to  an  American  stomach.  Dark-eyed  and  gaily  dressed  girls,  or 
witch-like  old  crones  generally  preside  at  the  tables,  though  sometimes  a 
man  who  looks  like  a  Sicilian  brigand  is  doing  the  honors  and  taking  in  the 
coppers. 

When,  late  at  night,  tired  but  triumphant,  we  returned  to  the  hotel,  the 
Girl  displayed  her  purchases  of  the  afternoon.     "I  was  foolish  enough  to 


68  THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 

The  old  take  her  into   Meyer's  curio  store,"  the  Colonel  said,  "and  you  see  the 

focketbook8       result."     The  result  was  a  big   Mexican   sombrero,  trimmed  with   silver 
braid.     "Isn't  it  swagger,"  the  Girl  said,  holding  it  up  triumphantly.     Then 
there  were  wax  figures,  horned  toads,  a  gaily  colored  serapa,  some  filagree 
silver  work  and  a  half  dozen  opals  that  held  scintillating  red  and  green  fires 
in  their  bosoms.     "Aren't  they  lovely,"  said  the  Girl  rapturously,  as  she 
moved  them  about  that  the  light  might  fall  upon  them. 
"But  they  are  stones  of  bad  omen,"  said  the  Growler. 
"  Pshaw,  I'm  not  superstitious,"  replied  the  Girl,  with  a  toss  of  her  head. 
"I  don't  think  there  will  be  any  bad  luck  about  them,  if  papa  consents  to 
have  one  or  two  of  them  set  in  diamonds/' 

"You  have  heard  how  Ella  Wheeler  Wilcox  accounts  for  "The  Birth  ot 
the  Opal  ? "  I  asked,  and,  for  fear  some  one  would  too  readily  assent,  I  quoted 
the  poem  : 

The  Sunbeam  loved  the  Moonbeam 

And  followed  her  high  and  low, 

But  the  Moonbeam  fled  and  hid  her  head, 

She  was  so  shy— so  shy. 

The  Sunbeam  woed  with  passion, 

Ah,  he  was  a  lover  bold, 

And  his  heart  was  afire  with  a  mad  desire 

For  the  Moonbeam  pale  and  cold. 

She  fled  like  a  dream  before  him, 

Her  hair  was  a  shining  sheen, 

And  O  !  that  fate  would  annihilate 

The  space  that  lay  between 

Just  as  the  day  lay  panting 

In  the  arms  of  the  twilight  dim 

The  Sunbeam  caught  the  one  he  sought 

And  drew  her  close  to  him. 

And  out  of  his  warm  arms  startled 

And  stirred  by  love's  first  shock 

She  sprang  afraid  like  a  trembling  maid 

And  hid  in  a  niche  of  rock. 

But  the  Sunbeam  followed  and  found  her 

And  led  her  to  love's  own  feast, 

And  they  were  wed  on  that  rocky  bed 

And  the  dying  day  was  their  priest. 

And  lo  !  the  beautiful  Opal, 

That  rare  and  wondrous  gem, 

Where  the  Moon  and  Sun  blend  into  one 

Is  the  child  that  was  born  to  them. 


CHAPTER   X. 

BETWEEN     SAN    ANTONIO    AND    DEVIL'S    RIVER IRRIGATION    AND    MINERAL 

INTERESTS — SOME    POINTS    BY    THE    WAY. 

"    A     MOCKING-BIRD  sang  under  my  window  this  morning,"  said  the 
/\.   Girl.     We  were  bowling  along  westward  of  San  Antonio,  and  the 
broad  prairies  swept  to  the  horizon  outside  of  the  car. 

"This   is   a   great   country    for   mocking-birds,"   replied   the   Growler.   Native  haunts 
"There  is  a  belt  fifty  miles  north  and  as  much  south  of  San  Antonio  where  songster" 
they  seem  to  be  at  home.     There  is  a  peculiar  fact  which  I  learned  while 
camping  in  this  section  on  hunting  trips,  and  that  is  that  the  mocking-bird 
preempts  his  farm." 

"Come,  come,  Growler,"  I  said  ;  "this  is  too  much." 
"  It  is  true,  just  the  same,"  was  the  response.  "  Each  mocking-bird  has 
his  own  range,  whrch  will  supply  berries  enough  to  last  him  until  spring. 
The  boundaries  of  the  tract  are  determined  with  as  much  accuracy  as  a 
mining  prospector  locates  his  claim.  It  varies  from  say  fifty  to  a  hundred 
yards  square.  The  mocking-bird  defends  this  possession  jealously.  He  He's  a  selfish 

...  .....  ....  fellow,  too. 

takes  his  position  in  the  top  of  the  highest  tree  or  bush  when  not  feeding, 
and  woe  to  the  'tramp*  bird  that  seeks  to  'squat'  upon  his  premises.  On 
the  first  alarm  he  is  in  the  air  ready  to  fight  and  pursue  the  intruder  until 
he  drives  him  away.  He  is  a  selfish  fellow,  too,  and  in  the  winter  turns  his 
mate  out  of  house  and  home  to  look  for  a  range  of  her  own,  lest  his  food 
supply  prove  inadequate." 

"You  spoke  about  the  hunting.     Is  it  good  in  Texas?"  I  asked. 

"There  are  plenty  of  deer  as  well  as  quail  and  other  game  birds,  while 
jack-rabbit  shooting  is  good  sport,"  was  the  reply.     "Of  course  coyotes,   what  the 
wolves  and  foxes  don't  count,  but  you  can  find  bear  and  panther  if  you  I 
know  where  to  look  for  them.     But  for  the  fisherman  there  is  equal  attrac- 
tion, for  from  the  trout  streams  to  the  home  of  the  tarpon  all  along  the 
gulf  coast,  and  particularly  at  Rockport  and  Corpus  Christi,  one  can  get  all 
the  amusement  desired." 

"What  a  country  for  stock,"  said  the  Colonel,  meditatively,  as  he  looked 
out  of  the  window  where  the  high  level  plain — or  Llano  Alto,  as  the  Mexi- 
cans call  it — grown  thick  with  its  peculiar  herbage,  but  looking  dry  and 
barren  in  places,  was  inanimate  except  for  here  and  there  a  herd  of  cattle. 

69 


70 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Water  will 
make  it  bloom 
=><*  the  rose. 


The  arid 
regions  ot 
America. 


"With  water  it  will  bloom  as  the  rose,"  replied  the  Growler,  "and  some 
day  there  will  be  great  farms  all  through  here.  Two  million  of  our  young 
men  and  women  reach  their  majority  every  year.  They  want  homes  of 
their  own.  The  naturally  watered  lands  will  soon  be  exhausted,  or  too  high 
for  struggling  industry  to  acquire.  In  California,  in  Utah  and  in  Arizona 
we  have  seen  the  desert  converted  into  a  garden  by  artificial  application  of 
water.  It  will  be  so  here.  Few  people  really  realize  how  great  is  the  scope 
of  arid  country  in  the  United 
States." 

"  I  will  confess  I        .'  #  / 
do  not,"  I  said. 


MISSIONS   NKAR    SAN    ANTONH 


"  It  is  half  the 
whole  country." 
"  Not  so  much  as 
that,    surely,"    I    an- 
swered, in  surprise. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Growler, 
"it  is  really  half  of  all 
America,  excepting  Alaska.  It  can  be  defined  in  this  way:  If  you  com- 
mence on  the  ninety-seventh  meridian,  on  the  west  end  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  and  run  north  to  the  British  Possessions,  then  run  a  thousand  miles 
west  to  the  one  hundred  and  fifteenth  meridian,  at  the  east  line  of  Idaho, 
dropping  down  one  hundred  miles,  then  run  west  to  the  top  of  the  Cascade 
Mountains,  in  Washington,  one  hundred  miles  from  the  Pacific  coast ;  then 
turning  south,  run  along  the  top  of  the  Cascade  Mountains  until  you  get 
forty  miles  below  San  Francisco,  then  turn  west  and  run  to  the  Pacific  coast 
and  follow  that  coast  down  to  Old  Mexico,  then  turning  follow  along  the 
north  line  of  Old  Mexico  down  the  Rio  Grande  and  around  to  the  place  of 
beginning,  you  will  have  gone  around  arid  America,  and  you  will  have  gone 
around  a  tract  of  country  half  as  big  as  all  the  United  States  In  the  settle- 
ment of  arid  America,  as  it  was  commenced  in  1854,  we  never  asked  what 
the  country  was  when  we  set  foot  upon  it,  and  it  is  only  within  the  last  few 
years  that  we  have  come  to  admit  to  the  world  that  Western  Kansas,  Western 
Nebraska,  the  Dakotas,  one-third  part  of  Texas  and  Western  Oklahoma, 
and  all  of  the  great  region  extending  from  the  warm  waters  of  the  gulf  to 


BETWEEN   SAN   ANTONIO   AND   DEVIL'S   RIVER. 


71 


the  British  Possessions,  cannot  be  settled  and  cannot  support  a  population 
in  peace  and  happiness  unless  it  be  reclaimed  by  irrigation.  Now,"  con- 
tinued the  Growler,  "  this  bit  of  country  has  cost  us  a  lot  of  money.  We 
paid  first  to  Old  Mexico,  in  1848,  $15,000,000  for  New  Mexico  and  Cali- 
fornia. We  afterward  paid  Old  Mexico  $10,000,000  for  the  45,000  square 
miles  embraced  in  what  is  known  as  the  Gadsden  Purchase.  We  afterward 
paid  Texas  $10,000,000  for  releasing  her  claims  to  that  portion  of  New 
Mexico  which  lies  east  of  the  Rio  Grande.  It?  strikes  me  that  the  Govern- 
ment, having  invested  so  much,  should  put  in  a  few  more  millions  to 
develop  it,  and  make  this  vast  area 
the  home  of  the  contented  and 
prosperous  millions  who  could  be 
supported  here." 

"Well,"  said  the  Colonel,  "if 
the  Government  is  not  doing  very 
much,  private  enterprise  is.  And 
as  we  shall  see  before  we  get 
through  with  this  trip,  it  has  made 
a  garden  out  of  Southern  Califor- 
nia, and  has  progressed  favorably 
in  the  same  direction  with  respect 
to  many  points  in  Texas,  Arizona 
and  New  Mexico." 

"  But  there  seems  to  be  a  good 
deal  of  verdure  out  on  those 
plains,"  I  said. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Colonel, 
"the  soil  is  so  rich  that  grass 
grows  with  the  slightest  encour- 
agement. Cattle  in  vast  numbers 
graze  here  and  find  abundant  pas- 
turage. Besides  that  there  are 
some  forage  plants  peculiar  to  the 
soil  and  climate.  For  instance, 
there  is  the  grease  plant,  which, 
even  when  green,  burns  as  tho'  saturated  with  kerosene.  The  Siempre  Viva 
or  Plant  of  Eternal  Life,  or  resurrection  plant,  as  it  is  variously  called,  often 
has  the  appearance  of  being  dead,  but  opens  up  in  water,  and  becomes  green 
and  thrifty  even  after  years.  The  most  peculiar  growth  is  that  which  is 
called  the  loco  plant.  It  comes  out  in  the  early  spring  before  the  grass 
sprouts,  and  when  cattle  eat  it  a  species  of  insanity  seizes  them.  It 
affects  horses  in  the  same  way,  and  the  plainsmen  describe  the  mania  by 


A  good  many 
millions  of 
acres  that  cost 
us  a  great 
many  millions 
of  dollars. 


A   MISSION   WINDOW,    SAN   ANTONIO. 


Private  enter- 
prise is  taking 
the  matter  in 
hand. 


Herbage . 
peculiar  to  the 
Texas  plains. 


SOME   POINTS   BY   THE   WAY.  73 

saying  they  see  ghosts.     The  symptoms  indicate  a  sort  of  hallucination, 
such  as  the  inebriate  is  seized  with  when  we  say  he  has  delirium  tremens." 

"Sabinal  will  be  the  seat  of  an  important  enterprise  some  day,"  remarked  sabtnai,  643 
the  Colonel,  as  the  train  passed  that  station.    "  Fifty  miles  from  here  there  are   New^oTfeans. 
very  extensive  deposits  of  a  high  grade  of  kaoline.     Several  thousand  dol-  and  alsphaJt 
lars  have  already  been  spent  by  St.  Louis  parties  in  prospecting  and  opening 
it,  and   tho'  the  rough  and  mountainous  country  in  which  it  is  situated, 
and  its  remoteness  from  railroads,  are  discouraging  factors,  I  look  for  its 
profitable  development  in  the  future.     Four  miles  from  here  an  asphalt 
mine  is  being  opened  up.     The  whole  country  is  full  of  this  valuable  min- 
eral, and  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  it  will  be  profitably  worked.     I 
also  understand  that  silver-bearing  ore  has  been  discovered  in  paying  quan- 
tities near  the  town." 

"  In  reference  to  the  arid  lands  we  were  talking  about  awhile  ago,"  said  the 
Growler,  as  the  train  drew  up  to  the  station  of  Uvalde,  twenty-three  miles 
beyond  Sabinal,  "  I  am  reminded  of  a  big  irrigating  project  which  is  now 
approaching  completion  here.  The  Uvalde  Irrigation,  Manufacturing  and 
Water  Co.,  of  which  Capt.  B.  F.  Buzard  is  president,  owns  25,000  acres  of  uvaide'sbig 
land  lying  north  and  south  of  the  Southern  Pacific  track  between  the  scheme. 
Nueces  River  on.  the  west  and  the  Leona  River  on  the  east.  Like  all  the 
land  in  this  part  of  .Texas,  the  soil  is  very  fertile.  The  irrigation  scheme 
contemplates  the  drawing  of  water  from  the  Nueces  River  at  a  point  on 
the  hills  about  twenty  miles  north  of  the  town.  The  river  there,  tho'  for 
the  most  part  fed  from  great  springs,  presents  all  the  aspects  of  a  mountain 
torrent,  having  a  fall  of  about  twenty  feet  to  the  mile.  Here  a  dam  has 
been  built,  and  through  cement-lined  canals  and  wooden  flumes  the  water 
is  carried  over  the  land.  There  is  water  enough  available  to  irrigate  more 
than  80,000  acres.  Assuming  that  one  cubic  foot  of  water  per  second  will  Millions  in 

,      water  and 

irrigate  350  acres,  and  that  it  is  worth  for  that  purpose  $1,000  per  miners  homes fbrthe 
inch,  or  $50,000  per  cubic  foot  as  estimated  in  California,  the  present  com- 
pany at  one-fifth  of  this  estimate  will  be  able  to  supply  $2,500,000  worth  of 
water  per  annum.  Their  plan  is  to  sell  their  irrigated  lands  in  small  par- 
cels to  actual  settlers,  and  I  regard  it  as  one  of  the  methods  which  are  so 
important  to  the  development  of  our  country." 

"All  these  places  have  something  more  than  local  interest,"  chimed  in  ciine, 682 miles 

, .  .       .      west  of  New 

the  Colonel.     "  Now,  here  is  Cline,  for  instance.     To  the  ordinary  tourist  it  Orleans; 
does  not  suggest  anything.     But  it  is  the  seat  of  a  very  important  interest.   feet.a  its' new 
The  Litho-Carbon  Rubber  Co.,  whose  stock  is  chiefly -held  by  New  York 
capitalists,  owns  some  17,000  acres  of  land  five  and  a  half  miles  southeast 
of  the  station.     This  land  contains  vast  deposits  of  a  new  mineral  discov- 
ered four  years  ago,  and  called  by  the  geological  department  at  Washington 
Litho-Carbon.     The  company  has  expended   upwards  of  $200,000   in  the 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  rock  gives 
forth  a  paint 
compound  and 
paving 
material. 


An  original 
and  ingenious 
process. 


Ho!  for  Mexico 
and  its  curious 
cities  and 
people. 


last  couple  of  years  in  putting  up  an  extraction  plant  and  mastic  works. 
The  bitumen  which  is  extracted  from  the  rock  finds  a  ready  market  among 
the  paint  and  varnish  manufacturers  in  this  country  and  Europe,  and  the 
present  capacity  of  this  plant  has  recently  been  increased  from  fifty  tons 
per  week  to  eighty  tons  per  day.  The  company  also  makes  a  compound 
for  rubber  and  an  insulating  material  for  electric  wires  and  electrical 
machinery.  The  mastic  plant  is  a  distinct  business,  the  product 
being  extensively  used  for  laying  sidewalks  and 
roadways  in  cities.  During  the  past  year  the 
company  contracted  for  several  thousand  tons  toi 
put  upon  the  streets  of  Houston. 
The  daily  capacity  of  this  plant 
is  fifty  tons.  The  rock  deposit 
crops  up  above  the  soil  on  the 
company's  property  and  is  easily 
mined,  six  charges  of  dynamite 
dislodging  some  200  tons.  In  ap- 
pearance the  rock  is  similar  to 
bituminous  limestone.  The  ex- 
traction is  made  with  oil,  under  a 
very  ingenious  process  patented  by  the  company.  So  far  as  the  plant  is 
concerned  it  would  be  a  model  one  in  any  of  our  great  industrial  centers 
as  well  as  out  here  on  the  Texas  plains,  for  it  has  its  own  arc  and  incan- 
descent electric  lights,  a  ten-ton  ice  plant,  comfortable  quarters  for  its  sev- 
enty-five employes,  and  every  facility  for  profitably  doing  business." 

Spofford,  705  miles  west  of  New  Orleans,  is  the  junction  point  for 
Mexico,  the  Southern  Pacific  running  a  through  sleeping  car  service  via 
Spofford  to  the  City  of  Mexico.  "  It  is  a  most  delightful  trip,"  said  the 
Growler.  "The  Mexican  International  is  struck  at  Eagle  Pass,  and  one 
goes  via  Torreon.  Coming  from  the  west  the  tourist  takes  the  Mexican 
Central  at  El  Paso.  The  service  throughout  is  excellent,  the  roads  and 
their  equipment  perfect,  and  the  novelty  of  the  people  one  meets  and  the 
sights  one  sees  are  a  large  reward  for  the  small  cost  and  additional  time 
consumed.  It's  a  wonder  to  me  that  more  of  our  people  do  not  make  the 
tour  through  Mexico,  where  so  much  that  is  quaint  and  interesting  invites 
them.  At  every  station  one  sees  groups  of  natives  full  of  picturesqueness. 
The  landscape  is  a  great  pleasure,  for  even  the  flat-topped  mountains  are 
different  from  anything  we  have,  and  the  old  towns  with  their  domed  cathe- 
drals are  like  cities  in  Palestine." 


CARRIERS   OF  THE  COUNTRY. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

DEL    RIO    AND    THE    GREAT     SPRINGS    OF    SAN     FELIPI DEVIL'S    RIVER    CA5TON 

A    HUNTING    STORY THE    FORTITUDE    OF    A    MEXICAN    TEAMSTER. 

"  TT^vEL  RIO  !"  said  the  Girl,  "that  has  a  Spanish  sound." 

L_y       "I  like  the  old  name  of  the  place  best,"  responded  the  Colonel;   Dei  Rio,  741 

.  miles  west  of 

"it  was  San  Felipi.     There  are  some  wonderful  springs  a  mile  northeast  of   New  Orleans, 
the  town.     They  burst  from  the  foot  of  low,  rocky  hills,  and  so  great  is  springs  of  San 
their  flow  that,  besides  furnishing  water  for  the  town  and  the  railroad,  for 
ice  factory,  cotton  gins  and  grist  mills,  and  irrigating  3,000  acres  of  land, 
a  great  volume  runs  to  waste  in  a  swift,  bold  stream  that  flows  toward  the 
Rio  Grande.     There  are  abundant  deposits  of  red  and  yellow  ochre  a  mile 
east  of  town,  and  a  thorough  geological  survey  will  doubtless  reveal  other 
mineral  wealth."   . 

"The  system  of  irrigation  here  proves  what  can  be  done  in  this  soil  and   what  can  be 

done  when  you 

climate,"  remarked  the  Growler.     "Something  like  8,000  or   10,000  acres  get  water  on 

this  soil. 

are  in  cultivation.  The  soil  is  a  rich  loam  and  produces  all  sorts  of  fruits, 
vegetables  and  grains.  I  have  seen  sixty  bushels  of  corn,  or  one  and  a  half 
bales  of  cotton,  or  four  hundred  bushels  of  potatoes  grown  to  the  acre.  It 
is  a  great  grape  district,  the  Lenore  or  Black  Spanish  grape  flourishing  with 
almost  unexampled  luxuriance,  producing  as  high  as  20,000  pounds  to 
the  acre.  A  great  deal  of  wine  is  made  here,  and  sells  at  $1.00  per  gallon 
when  new." 

"Isn't  there  a  mineral  spring  hereabouts,  too?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,"  said  the  Growler,  "  on  the  southern  limits  of  the  town  there  is  a  A  spring  for 

the  healing  of 

famous  mineral  well,  of  which  Prof.  Everhart  made  the  following  statement :  the  nations. 
'  So  far  as  my  own  experience  goes,  there  is  only  one  sulphur  water  in  the 
state  that  possesses  all  the  qualities  of  a  first-class  water,  and  that  is 
one  found  at  Del  Rio.  This  water  stood  for  over  six  weeks  in  my  labora- 
tory without  losing  appreciably  any  of  its  properties.  Taking  everything 
into  consideration,  it  stands  at  the  head  of  any  sulphur  water  found  in  the 
United  States,  and  is  probably  equal  to  any  found  elsewhere  in  the  world." 

"  I  never  think  of  Del  Rio  without  recalling  the  hunting  story  that  Duval   oneof  Duvai 

West's  hunting 

West,  of  San  Antonio,  tells.     West  is  as  truthful  as  most  lawyers,  and  1  really   yarns. 
think  he  believes  this,"  said  the  Colonel.     "  He  says  that  a  couple  of  years 
ago  a   party,  of  which  he  was  one,  went  by  way  of  Del  Rio  for  a  hunting 

75 


76 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


trip  into  Mexico.  Their  chosen  ground  was  on  the  Sabinas  River,  eighty 
miles  south  of  this  point,  where  deer,  turkey  and  the  wild  Mexican  hog  are 
plentiful.  A  very  wealthy  New  Orleans  cotton  broker,  whom  we  will  call 
Jones  because  that  was  not  his  name,  was  in  the  party.  After  leaving  Del 
Rio,  they  traveled  for  two  days  over  a  very  dry  and  dusty  plain.  There  was 
not  a  tree  in  sight  and  scarcely  a  blade  of  grass.  The  cotton  broker  lost 
heart,  and  said  to  Comstock,  an  Englishman  who  was  in  the  party,  and  who 
had  never  been  known  to  kill  anything, 
'Comstock,  I'll  bet  von 


ON    MII.AM    SQUARE,    SAN    ANTONIO. 

Took  big  odds  $1,500.00  to  $i.oo  that  you  do  not  shoot  a  deer  to-morrow.'    The  bet  was  of 
°por°SS1  course  taken.     Then  Jones  said  to  another  member  of  the  party  who  was  a 

fairly  good  sportsman,  'I  will  bet  you  $1,000.00  to  $1.00  that  you  don't  kill  a 
deer  to-morrow,' and  to  West,  '1  will  bet  you  $500.00  to  $1.00  that  you  do  not 
kill  a  deer  to-morrow.'  These  bets  were  taken,  and  to  the  guide  who  was  a 
famous  shot,  and  who  had  been  talking  a  great  deal  about  the  superb  turkey 
shooting,  he  said,  'I  will  bet  you  $100.00  to  $1.00  you  don't  get  a  turkey.' 
That  night  they  reached  the  hunting  grounds,  and  bright  and  early  the  next 
morning  each  member  of  the  party  went  forth,  determined,  if  possible,  to  win 
the  big  purses  hung  up  as  incentives  to  success.  West  said  that  after  tramp- 
ing for  five  or  six  miles  he  got  a  good  shot  at  a  doe  at  one  hundred  yards, 
took  deliberate  aim  and  blazed  away.  The  doe  fell  and  disappeared  over  a 
west  was  sure  little  swale  in  the  ground.  Confident  that  he  had  killed  it  he  walked  up 
winner.  leisurely  only  to  find  when  he  reached  the  place  that  the  wounded  animal 

had  escaped.  That  was  the  only  shot  that  he  got  that  day.  Comstock  fired 
point-blank  at  a  deer  at  sixty  yards  and  missed  it.  He  protested  that  if  it 
had  not  been  for  the  nervousness  produced  by  the  consciousness  of  the  bet, 
he  would  have  killed  his  game  ;  but  he  made  a  clean  miss.  The  other 
member  of  the  party  got  a  good  shot  at  a  deer  but  also  missed.  The  guide 


DEVIL  S   RIVER   CANON. 


77 


was  the  only  one  who  did  not  see  any  game,  so  that  tho'  they  killed  plenty  of 
deer  and  turkey  during  every  other  day  of  their  stay,  Jones  who  stood  to 
lose  over  $3,000.00  as  against  a  winning  of  $4.00,  took  in  all  the  bets." 

Six  miles  beyond  Del  Rio  the  road  enters  a  cutting  and  begins  to  skirt 
the  bank  of  the  Rio  Grande.  At  times  the  waters  of  the  river  wash  the 
shelf  of  stone  upon  which  the  track  is  laid.  On  the  right  the  great  wall  of 
gray  rock  rises  in  castellated  turrets,  sometimes  projecting  in  roof-like 
masses  that  overhang  the  track.  Here  and  there,  from  the  cavernous 
mouths  of  caves,  great  flocks  of  swallows  and  bats  issue  forth  as  the  train 
clatters  by.  With  affrighted  cries  they  circle  about  for  a  time  and  then 
retreat  into  the  dark  and  mysterious  recesses  again.  Off  to  the  left  are  the 
misty  blue  mountains  of  Mexico.  Here  the  two  republics  confront  each 
other  belligerently  and  with  the  menace  of  stern  granite  walls,  while  between 
the  placid  river  flows.  Ten  miles  beyond,  and  Devil's  River,  an  affluent  of 
the  Rio  Grande,  is  crossed.  Its  crystal  clear  waters  abound  in  trout  that 
tempt  the  sportsmen.  After  crossing  the  river  the  train  runs  through 
Seminole  Cave  Canon.  Here  again  the  great  primeval  rocks  rise  like  the 
b'uttressed  walls  of  a  castle  in  Lombardy.  They  are  honeycombed  with 
caves,  the  interior  walls  of  which  are  daubed  in  places  with  paint  and 


X 


ON   THE  SAN  ANTONIO  RIVER. 


But  Jones  took 
in   all  the 
purses 


Caves  on  the 
banks  of  the 
Rio  Grande. 


A  good  place 
for  scientists 
and  Apaches. 


marked  by  indecipherable  hieroglyphics.  In  these  caves  the  roaming  bands 
of  Apaches  once  sought  shelter  when  too  closely  pursued  by  the  troops,  and 
were  wont  to  lie  in  secure  hiding  while  the  soldiers  were  mystified  by  their 
sudden  disappearance. 

When  Comstock   is   reached,   the  Santa   Rosa   Mountains  can  be  seen,   The 

. ,  T.  T  .         .          Santa  Rosa 

towering  blue  and  bold,  seventy  miles  away  in  Mexico.     Here  one  begins   Mountains. 


THE   FORTITUDE   OF   A   MEXICAN   TEAMSTER. 


79 


to  realize  the  purity  and  rarity  of  the  atmosphere  on  these  high  plains.  HOW  the  eye  is 
The  eye  acquires  a  power  lost  to  it  in  other  latitudes.  That  hill  over  there 
is  thirty  miles  away,  but  you  would  aver  that  it  was  only  five  at  most.  To 
the  foot  of  those  bluffs  is  twenty  miles,  but  if  you  relied  upon  vision  you 
would  say  you  could  walk  to  them  in  half  an  hour.  Continually  one  is 
deceived  by  this  foreshortening  of  distance. 

"We  start  upon  a  trip  from  New  Orleans  to  San  Francisco  with  indifference  The  old  stage 

.  ,     ,        „          ,         ,,  ,  ,-,-,•  routes  across 

now.    said  the  Growler,  "but  it  was  very  different  when  I  used  to  go  over   the  continent, 
the  route  before  the  railway  was  built.     I  have  crossed  here  when  the  stage 
line  was  in  operation,  and  it  followed  a  route  but  a  few  miles  north  of  the 
road  at  this  point.     We  had  six  and  eight  mule  teams  and  covered  the  six 


LOOKING  OVER  THE   BUSINESS   PART   OF   SAN   ANTONIO,    TEXAS. 

hundred  and  thirty  miles  from  San  Antonio  to  El  Paso  in  six  days,  which 
was  not  slow  for  that  mode  of  conveyance.  The  fare  per  passenger  was 
$40.00,  and  he  carried  his  own  life  insurance,  an  extra-hazardous  policy  for 
the  insurance  companies,  too,  for  the  Apaches  made  things  lively.  You  can 
imagine  how  a  man  felt  after  six  days  and  nights  in  a  stage.  Why,  he  could 
fall  down  and  sleep  anywhere." 

"It  was  a  little  expensive  traveling,  too;  was  it  not?"  I  inquired. 

"The  last  time  I  came  that  way,"  replied  the  Growler,  "was  on  the 
eastern  trip.  It  was  by  sea  from  San  Francisco  to  Santa  Monica,  $14.00 ; 
thence  to  Los  Angeles  by  rail,  $1.00;  from  Los  Angeles  to  Yuma  by  rail, 
$23.00.  There  I  took  the  old  Southern  Pacific  mail  stage  line  of  Kerens 
and  Mitchell  to  Mesilla,  N.  M.,  and  by  way  of  Tucson  and  El  Paso  to  San 
Antonio,  the  total  fare  by  stage  being  something  over  $200.00." 


80 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  Pecos 
bridge,   one  of 
the  highest  in 
the  world. 


Patty  and  her 
mustang. 


Let  his  arm  be 
burned  off 
and  never 
whimpered. 


The  Pecos  bridge,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  structures  of  the  kind  in 
the  world,  is  crossed  just  beyond  Comstock.  Its  long  steel  spans,  the  mid- 
dle one  185  feet  in  length,  look  like  spider  webs  against  the  great  depths  it 
crosses.  The  bridge  is  2,184  feet  long  and  321  feet  above  the  bed  of  the 
river,  which  far  below  winds  like  an  azure  ribbon  through  its  steep  walled 
chasm  of  rock. 

Mr.  J.  R.  Moorehouse,  a  former  paymaster  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad 
system,  lives  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Pecos,  and  has  an  extensive  sheep 
ranch.  His  young  daughter,  Patty,  used  to  ride  her  mustang  across  the 
narrow  footway  of  the  bridge,  a  feat  so  perilous  that  the  railway  company 
finally  put  up  a  wire  fence  to  prevent  the  hazardous  undertaking. 

"One  of  the  most  superb  evidences  of  fortitude  took  place  in  Howard's 
Well  Canon,  forty  miles  north  of  here,  in  1876,"  said  the  Colonel,  musingly. 
"The  occasion  was  one  of  those  plains  tragedies  which  were  all  too  frequent 
up  to  that  date.  A  long  Mexican  wagon  train  was  making  its  way  north- 
ward when  it  was  attacked  by  Apaches  in  Howard's  Well  Canon.  The  men 
were  overpowered  and  most  of  them  killed,  the  survivors  tied  to  the  wagon 
wheels,  and  the  train  rifled  and  the  wagons  set  on  fire.  Only  one  man  escaped 
to  tell  the  story — a  Mexican  teamster,  who  had  been  shot  through  the  breast. 
As  he  lay  upon  the  ground  feigning  death,  an  Apache  brave,  who  was  going 
about  convincing  himself  that  the  slaughter  was  complete,  kicked  him 
toward  the  fire.  The  Mexican's  hand  fell  among  the  blazing  embers.  To 
have  moved  would  have  been  to  have  invited  death,  and  he  lay  there  and 
let  his  hand  and  arm  shrivel  to  a  cinder.  When  the  Indians  rode  away  he 
crawled  for  ten  miles  to  a  ranch  and  tc id  the  story  of  disaster." 


CHAPTER    XII. 


ROY    BEAN    OF    LANGTRY — "THE    LAW    WEST    OF    THE    PECOS" A    PLAINSMAN 

WHO    RULES    WITHOUT    REGARD    TO    STATUTE. 

THE  train  drew  up  to  the  little  station  where  a  big  brown  tank  awaited  Langtry,  806 
to  refresh  the  thirsty  engine.  The  conductor  said  we  would  have 
ten  minutes,  and  we  stepped  out  on  the  platform.  The  stony  hills  swept 
away  on  the  right  and  left,  opening  before  us  into  narrow  valleys  toward 
which  the  shining  rails  led.  Half-encircling  the  little  group  of  houses  was 
the  deep  Canon  of  the  Rio  ,  Grande,  a  precipitous  cleft 

in  the  ground,  where 


THE  ARSENAL,   SAN   ANTONIO,   TEXAS. 

the  walls  have  a  sheer  fall  of  two  hundred  feet  from  the  level  of  the  mesa  to 
the  bed  of  the  river.  Across  to  the  right,  fifty  yards  away,  was  a  low, 
broad,  white  frame  building,  with  a  shaky  veranda  in  front  and  a  roof  that 
sloped  flatly  to  the  eaves.  A  big  black  bear,  in  an  iron-barred  cage,  paced 
restlessly  to  and  fro.  Over  the  front  of  the  saloon,  for  such  it  was,  a  big 
sign  flaunted,  bearing  the  legend,  "  The  Jersey  Lily." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Girl,  deliberately,  as  she  cast  her  eye  over  the  landscape 
and  finally  fixed  them  on  the  little  cluster  of  houses  ;  "it  would  be  hard  to 
find  anything  of  interest  about  this  place." 

The  Colonel  chuckled  and  replied:   "This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  The  home  of 
points  on  the  line.     It  is  the  home  of  one  of  the  most  original  characters  Of  the 


82 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 


Pen  picture 
*he  "  Jedge. 


A  recital  of 
frontier  life. 


the  frontier  has  given  birth  to — Roy  Bean,  by  courtesy  and  reason  of  his 
office  called  the  Judge,  and  known  throughout  Texas  as  'The  law  west 
of  the  Pecos.'  There  he  is  now." 

of  A  rather  stout  man  of  perhaps  sixty  years  came  out  of  the  door  of 
"  The  Jersey  Lily"  and  stood  upon  the  porch  watching  the  train.  He  was  of 
medium  height.  As  he  took  off  an  old  sombrero  a  splendidly  shaped  head, 
covered  with  an  unkempt  shock  of  gray  hair,  was  visible.  His  bearded  face 
was  kindly,  and  had  manifestly  been  handsome  in  his  early  manhood.  He 
wore  a  check  shirt  open  at  the  throat  and  a  pair  of  trousers  supported  by  a 
single  suspender. 

"  Take  a  good  look  at  the  Judge,"  said  the  Growler,  affectionately;  "you 
will  never  see  another  man  like  him." 

When  we  had  resumed  our  seats  and  the  train  was  speeding  on,  I 
reminded  the  Colonel  of  his  promise  to  tell  us  something  of  Judge  Bean, 
and  he  answered  : 

"The  whole  story  of  Roy  Bean's  life  is  a  recital  of  frontier  exploit.  It 
seems  far  away  to  us  because  the  times  that  made  it  possible  have  passed 
forever.  No  quainter,  ______ _ __ ^ -— — _  more  original  or  self- 

assertive  "-•*•-__  character 


PLAZA,    SAN   ANTONIO,    TEXAS. 

ever  lived,  and  none  who  has  drawn  a  larger  stock  of  common  sense  from  the 
hard  school  of  experience.  In  the  history  of  the  southwest  frontier  he  will  fill 
an  important  niche.  Roy  is  a  Kentuckian,  born  in  1829,  but  moving  to 
Independence,  Missouri,  soon  after.  When  sixteen  he  made  a  trip  to  Santa 
Fe,  and  in  1846  went  into  Mexico  with  General  Donaphan.  From  then  on, 
for  forty  years,  his  life  was  one  of  wild  adventure.  How  he  was  first 


ROY    BEAN   OF   LANGTRY.  83 

arrested  for  shooting  a  Mexican,  who  tried  to  rob  his  Drotner's  store  in 
Chihuahua,  his  novel-like  adventures  in  El  Paso,  Tucson  and  other  points, 
would  fill  a  book.  Finally  after  running  a  gambling  saloon  and  dance 
house  in  1850-51,  at  San  Gabriel  Mission,  near  Los  Angeles,  and  selling 
whisky  at  the  Peno  Alto  mines  in  Arizona,  he  drifted  back  to  Texas,  and 
during  the  war  freighted  cotton  from  Allerton,  the  terminus  of  the  first 
little  railroad  in  the  state,  to  Lodi,  Eagle  Pass  and  Brownsville,  bringing  opened  a 
on  his  return  trips  supplies  for  the  Confederate  government.  When  the  be'c^me 
Southern  Pacific  was  being  built  across  these  plains  he  was  prompted  to  open  p^ce6 
a  saloon  and  follow  the  camps.  He  first  located  at  a  place  east  of  the 
Pecos,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Vinegerone.  Here  he  piled  up  rock 
walls,  stretched  a  canvas  awning  across  for  a  roof  and  sold  whisky  to  the 
thirsty  laborers.  Here,  too,  he  began  his  celebrated  judicial  career.  Gam- 
blers flocked  in  and  there  was  so  much  shooting  and  such  a  rapid  increase 
in  the  population  of  the  little  cemetery,  that  the  contractor  in  charge  of 
the  works  wrote  to  Governor  Ireland  and  had  Roy  commissioned  as  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  and  a  company  of  rangers  detailed  to  assist  him.  From 
then  on  Roy's  course  was  marked  by  those  extraordinary  decisions  which 
are  notorious,  and  I  have  sat  by  the  hour,  and  the  Growler  there  has,  too, 
and  listened  to  Roy  tell  about  them,  while  we  shook  with  laughter  at  each 
ludicrous  result." 

"Tell  us  some  of  them."  I  said;   "I  should  like  to  know  by  what  pro- 
cesses the  Judge  has  achieved  such  fame." 

"  Tell  the  Chinaman  story,"  said  the  Colonel,  turning  to  the  Growler. 

"When  there  were  six  thousand  Chinamen  working  along  here  building  Found  no 
the  road,"  was  the  response,  "  it  was  pretty  difficult  to  hold  them  in  check,  madeira*1 
They  were  divided  off  into  gangs  and  over  each  of  these  subdivisions  there  chhlaman!" * 
was  a  white  boss.  One  day  the  Chinamen  in  one  gang  made  an  assault  upon 
the  foreman,  who  retaliated  by  shooting  and  killing  a  Celestial.  Another 
white  employe,  who  had  a  pique  at  the  man  who  had  done  the  killing,  pre- 
ferred a  charge  against  him  before  Justice  Roy  Bean.  The  rangers  were 
sent .  out  and  duly  arrested  him.  That  afternoon  a  large  party  of  white 
men  from  the  camp,  heavily  armed,  rode  over  and  demanded  an  immediate 
trial  of  the  prisoner,  their  intention  being  to  release  him  in  the  event  the 
court  did  not.  Roy  told  them  that  the  inquiry  would  be  held  the  next 
afternoon,  and  invited  them  to  picket  their  horses  and  to  make  themselves 
at  home  in  the  meantime.  They  proceeded  to  do  so,  with  the  expected 
result  that  they  spent  a  great  deal  of  money  in  Roy's  saloon.  The  next 
day  that  able  jurist  convened  court,  and  taking  his  position  on  the  counter 
in  his  saloon,  where  he  always  sits  while  conducting  the  trial  of  a  case, 
announced  with  great  dignity  that  he  had  carefully,  studied  the  statutes  but 
that  the  most  diligent  search  failed  to  show  that  it  was  a  crime  to  kill  a 


84 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 


Pined  a  dead 
man  for 
carrying 
concealed 
weapons. 


Didn't  mind 
divorcing 
people,  either. 


Chinaman;  that  if  any  one  couid  show  him  where  it  was  made  a  misdemeanor 
to  take  the  life  of  a  Chinaman  he  would  hold  the  accused,  but  that  otherwise 
he  should  be  compelled  to  discharge  him — and  discharge  him  he  did." 

"  He  rendered  a  verdict  at  a  coroner's  inquest  which  is  also  historic," 
said  the  Colonel.  "  While  the  Pecos  bridge  was  in  course  of  construction, 
one  of  the  men  fell  from  it  and  was  killed.  Roy  was  summoned  to  view 
the  remains,  and  in  examining  the  person  of  the  deceased  to  find  possible 
clews  to  his  identity,  he  discovered  a  small  revolver  and  a  time-check  for 
$40.00  which  was 
good  to  bearer.  The 
Judge  impaneled  a 
jury,  who  listened  to 
the  evidence  and 
promptlybrought  in 


JVKR   THE  CITY   AND   Till 
CORPUS   CHRIST!,    TEXAS 


BEACH    AT 


dental  death.  The 
spectators  started 
to  disperse,  but  Roy 
called  themto  order, 
and  said:  '  This  is 
not  all,  gentlemen. 
The  deceased  came 
to  his  death  by  accident,  but  there  is  another  matter  to  be  attended  to. 
I  find  upon  the  body  a  revolver  and  forty  dollars.  Now  it  is  contrary  to 
the  laws  of  Texas,  and  to  the  peace  and  dignity  of  the  state,  to  carry  con- 
cealed weapons.  I  therefore  confiscate  the  pistol  and  fine  the  deceased  forty 
dollars  for  this  breach  of  law.'  and  he  coolly  pocketed  the  proceeds,  and 
laughs  about  it  to  this  day." 

"  I  never  remember  but  one  instance  where  the  Judge's  decisions  brought 
him  into  conflict  with  the  higher  authorities,"  remarked  the  Growler.  "  He 
had  married  two  Mexican  couples  —  and,  by  the  way,  in  all  this  region  they 
won't  have  anybody  but  him  perform  the  ceremony.  In  a  month  or  two 
they  came  back,  and  said  they  could  not  agree  and  wanted  to  'swap  '  wives. 
Roy  listened  to  the  recital  of  their  marital  woes,  and  then  with  a  pretense 


THE   LAW    WEST   OF   THE   PECOS." 


85 


of  some  sort  of  ceremony  declared  them  divorced.  Then  he  collected  $15.00 
from  each  released  husband  and  they  started  away,  the  women  simply 
changing  protectors  and  evidently  designing  to  cling  to  the  new  spouse. 
But  Roy  called  them  back  and  declared  that  this  would  not  do  ;  that  it  was 
contrary  to  law,  and  that  they  must  be  remarried  under  the  new  assign- 
ment. He  performed  the  double  ceremony  and  charged  each  one  an 
additional  $5.00.  When  Judge  T.  A.  Falvey  of  El  Paso,  who  is  upon  the 
bench  of  this  judicial  district,  heard  of  the  affair,  he  wrote  to  Roy  and 
said,  '  It  is  all  right  this  time,  but,  for  God's  sake,  don't  divorce  any  more 
couples.' " 

"I  used  to  know  a  young  telegraph  operator  who  was  employed  at 
Langtry,"  continued  the  Growler,  "  and  once  he  got  into  trouble  with  a 
Mexican  citizen,  and  apprehending  that  Roy  did  not  like  him  and  might  fix  a 
severe  punishment,  hurriedly  left  for  Sanderson.  >«pfi!te^  The  Mexi- 
can swore  out  a  warrant,  but  the  guilty  party 
was  gone.  Roy  strolled  down  to  the  agent  and  /""^ 


ISH   PASS,  TEXAS. 

He 


told  him  he  had  fled   Roy  refuses  to 

i        1      TMI        i        issue  a  second 

'  Pshaw,   said  Roy,  '  have  him  come  back,  I  11  take  warrant. 


asked  him  what  had  become  of  the  operator. 
for  fear  of  punishment, 
care  of  him.'  The  young  fellow  reappeared  the  next  day  and  the  Mexican 
at  once  sought  out  Roy  and  demanded  his  arrest,  but  that  dignitary  gravely 
informed  him  that  the  first  warrant  having  been  returned  unsatisfied,  the 
constable  not  being  able  to  serve  it,  a  second  warrant  could  not  be  issued, 
as  the  law  declared  that  a  man  could  not  twice  be  put  in  jeopardy  of  his 
life.  Another  of  the  Judge's  favorite  and  profitable  methods  of  inflicting 


86 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


His  favorite 
punishment   is 
popular  with 
the  natives. 


But  he  insists 
that  the  guilty 
shall  buy  their 
beer  of  him. 


The  Judge 
enjoys  the 
joke,  too. 


punishment  is  to  fine  the  convicted  party,  where  the  offense  is  not  grave,  a 
couple  of  dozen  bottles  of  beer,  which,  of  course,  are  bought  and  paid  for 
on  the  spot  at  the  rate  of  fifty  cents  each.  There  is  a  Mexican  by  the  name 
of  Torreonewho  runs  an  opposition  saloon  in  Langtry,  and  naturally  he  and 
Roy  are  bitter  rivals.  |  BMHUI  mm IM  ,  ,  mf  Some  time  ago  Torreone 

was  arrested  by  a  fellow- 
citizen  whom  he  had  as- 
saulted. He  demanded 
a  trial  by  jury,  and 
after  a  good  deal  of 
effort  enough  men 
were  mustered 
up  to  compose 
the  panel. 
When  the  evi- 
dence was  all  in 
they  deliber- 
ated for  some 
time  and  finally 
returned  a  ver- 
dict of  guilty, 
and  fixed  the 
fine  at  two  doz- 
en bottles  of 
beer.  Elated 
at  getting  off  so 
easily  the  prisoner 
sprang  up  and  said, 
'All  right,  boys, 
come  over  to  my 
place  and  have  the 
beer.'  '  No  you 
don't,'  responded 
Judge  Bean, 
promptly  and  firm- 
ly. 'The  fines  im- 
posed in  this  yere  court  are  paid  right  here,  and  don't  you  forget  it,'  and  he 
compelled  the  discomfited  Torreone  to  patronize  his  bar,  and  pay  the  full 
retail  price,  too." 

"There  are  a  hundred  incidents  of  this  kind  I  could  relate,"  said  the 
Colonel  meditatively,  "and  all  of  them  have  the  advantage  of  being  abso- 
lutely true.  Absurd  as  they  seem,  and  as  they  are,  they  are  based  upon 


JUDGE   ROY   BEAN    OF   LANCiTRY,    TEX; 
''THE    LAW    WEST   OF    THE    PKCOS." 


RULES  WITHOUT  REGARD  TO  STATUTE. 


87 


the  same  principles  of  law  that  actuated  Solomon  —  good  common  sense. 

Roy  Bean's  court  is  a  product  of  the  country,  and  his  decisions  are  adapted 

to  the  necessities  of  the  life  about  him.     Nobody  enjoys  the  recital  of  these 

legal  comedies  more  than   Roy  himself,  and   the  twinkle  in  his  eye  as  he 

quaintly  narrates  them  shows  his  own  keen  appreciation  of  humor.     One  of 

the  best  stories  of  Roy  Bean's  early  career  is  told  by  Major  Horace  Bell,  in 

his  book  entitled  'Reminiscences  of  a  Ranger,'  published  some  fifteen  years 

ago,  and  dealing  with  the  California  life  of  the   5o's.     At  that  time   Roy 

was  running  his  saloon  at  the  San  Gabriel  Mission,  and  it  was  one  of  the 

toughest   of  its  class.     On  one  Sunday  some  three  thousand  people  had 

gathered  around  the  old  Mission  to  amuse  themselves  in  various  ways.    The 

list  of  amusements  included  a  horse  race,  monte  games  and  cock  fights.     It 

was  a  rough  assemblage,  the  most  of  the  crowd  being  Americans,  all  des-  An  incident  in 

perate  fellows,  who  cared  nothing  for  killing  a  man.     While  the  celebration   u°e.S( 

was  at  its  height   a  smooth-faced  young  man,   of  exceedingly  polite  and 

graceful  demeanor,  rode   up,  dismounted  and  entered   the   saloon  kept  by 


COWBOYS   ON    THK   TEXAS    PLAINS 


Roy.  The  new  comer  leaned  against  the  bar  and  carelessly  surveyed  the 
scene.  While  quietly  looking  on  he  was  roughly  accosted  by  a  ruffianly 
looking  man,  who,  taking  a  position  directly  in  front  of  the  young  fellow, 
and  surveying  him  from  head  to  foot,  said,  with  a  contemptuous  grin  : 

"'Well,  whar  in  hell  did  you  come  from?' 

"  '  I  !'  replied  the  young  man  in  a  pleasant  voice  ,  '  why,  I  just  arrived 
from  Los  Angeles.' 

"  'You  weren't  raised  thar,  war  ye?'  asked  the  bully. 

"  '  No  ;  I  came  from  New  York.' 

"  '  I  jest  don't  know  whar  New  York  is  ;  I  reckon  it's  way  up  north  some- 
whar,  whar  you  pries  the  sun  up  with  a  hand-spike.' 


RULES   WITHOUT   REGARD   TO   STATUTE.  89 

"  'The  sun  never  sets  in  New  York,'  was  the  response. 

"The  quiet  demeanor  of  the  young  man  enraged  the  bully,  and  he  be-   The  wiidwoif 
came  still  more  overbearing,  declaring  himself  to  be  the  'Wild  Wolf  of  the   Arkansas. 
Arkansas.' 

"  '  I  was  the  bloodiest  man  in  the  Cherokee  Nation,'  said  he;  'lama 
half-breed  Cherokee,  I  am,  and  I  belong  to  the  Ridge  party.  I  killed  three 
Mexicans  on  my  way  out  here.  I  killed  a  soldier  at  Fort  Yuma,  and  I  have 


ALONG  THE   PECOS   IN  TEXAS. 


been  here  three  weeks  and  ain't   killed  anybody  yet.     I'm  going  to  give   He  announces 

his  intention  to 

these  Mexicans  a  chance  to  have  a  funeral,  and  if  you  open  your  mouth   do  some  killing 
I'll  kill  you.' 

"  'Please,  sir,  don't  bury  me  alive,'  said  the  young  man,  ironically. 
"  '  Be  keerful,  stranger  ;   I  shoot,  cut  and  kill,  I  do.' 
"  Roy  was  watching  the  proceedings  from  behind  the  bar.     His  sympa- 
thies were  all  with  the  young  man,  and  quietly  slipping  up  to  him  he  placed 
a  small  derringer  in  his  hand.    The  youth  turned  his  hand  so  as  to  secrete  the 
weapon,  and  when   the  bully  again   continued  his  insulting  remarks  and 
threats  he  coolly  looked  at  him,  and  said  : 

"'You  are  not  dangerous,  and  I  don't  think  you  will  hurt  me.' 
"This  caused  the  storm  to  break  forth,  and  the  bully  jumped  up,  and, 
cracking  his  heels,  cried  out  to  the  crowd  : 


90 


THROUGH    STORVLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  youth  did 
not  seem 
alarmed. 


But  found  he 
had  struck 
the  wrong 
tenderfoot. 


And  the  cigar 
goes  up  his 
proboscis. 


"  '  Get  out  of  the  way,  I'm  going  to  shoot.' 

"A  general  rush  was  made  for  the  doors,  and,  as  the  desperado  reached 
to  draw  his  pistol,  the  young  man  with  a  quick  movement  placed  the  barrel 
of  the  derringer,  which  he  had  been  holding  in  his  hand,  against  the  breast 
of  the  bully,  and  said  in  a  firm  tone  : 

"  '  My  dear  sir,  hold  up  your  hands,  or  I  will  kill  you.' 

"The  bully  found  that  he  had  met  his  master,  and  mechanically  obeyed 
the  command. 

"  '  Now,'  said  the  young  man,  'unbuckle  that  belt  and  let  your  six-shooter 
fall,'  which  command  was  obeyed  without  a  murmur. 

"  'Now  take  a  position  at  that  corner  of  the  room,'  continued  the  young 
fellow,  pointing  to  the  place  indicated.  The  cowed  bully  obeyed,  and  his 
conqueror  picked  up  the  six-shooter  and  calling  for  a  cigar  quietly  lighted 
it.  The  crowd  was  watching  the  scene  with  mute  wonder.  After  thoroughly 
lighting  the  cigar,  keeping  a  drop  on  the  bully  all  the  time,  he  walked  up 
to  his  cowed  victim,  and  thrusting  the  pistol  in  his  face,  said  : 

"  '  Hold  your  hands  behind  your  back  ;  I'm  going  to  stick  the  fiery  end 
of  this  cigar  in  your  nose,  and  you  must  let  it  remain  until  it  goes  out.  If 
you  flinch  or  attempt  to  take  it  out,  I'll  make  a  funeral  for  these  Mexicans.' 

"This  threat  was  put  into  execution,  and  stepping  back  to  the  bar,  the 
young  hero  said  : 

'"Gentlemen,  resume  your  games  ;  there  will  be  no  further  trouble,'  still 
keeping  a  deadly  aim  on  the  bully. 

"'My  name  is  Joe  Stokes,  and  I  can  whip  any  man  in  California  who 
don't  like  me.  I  like  to  lay  for  such  soft  snaps  as  'The  Wild  Wolf  of  the 
Arkansas/  ' 

'•The  young  hero  then  went  out,  and  mounting  his  horse,  rode  off  amid 
the  wild  cheers  of  the  crowd.  This  was  a  brother  of  Ed  Stokes  of  New 
York." 


CHAPTER    XIII 


FROM    LANGTRY    TO    EL    PASO,    WITH    SOME    PASSING    COMMENT    UPON    THE 

NATURAL    AND    HISTORIC    POINTS    ON    THE    WAY TRAGEDIES 

OF    THE    BORDER A    WOMAN'S    HEROISM,    ETC. 

FROM  Langtry  to  El  Paso  every  foot  of  the  way  seemed  to  suggest   The  landscape 
something  of  romantic  interest  connected  with  the  pioneer  life  of  the 
country  to  the  Colonel  or  to  the  Growler.     The  wide  sweep  of  verdure-clad 
or  barren  landscape,  the  rugged    near-by  butts  or  far-off   blue  chains  of 
towering  mountains,  the  presence  of  a  frontier  fort,  with  its  trim  buildings 


PAISAINO   PASS,    SUMMIT   OF  THE   SUNSET   ROUTE. 

and  flying  colors,  everything  revived  incidents  that  added  an  element  of 
acute  interest  to  the  journey. 

"  They  have  all  the  train  robberies"  up  north  now,  but  we  used  to  have  a 
few  down  here  in  the  early  days  of  lawlessness,"  said  the  Colonel  when  we 
reached  Samuels.  "  The  train  robbers  soon  gave  up  the  business  though, 
because  through  this  part  of  the  country  it  was  too  easy  to  catch  them." 

"  I  should  think  they  could  get  away  very  readily  on  these  great  plains 
and  among  these  mountain  fastnesses,"  I  said. 

"  Not  at  all,"  was  the  reply.     "  Throughout  all  this  country  the  presence   Men  become 

,         ,  .     .        .    skilled  in  the 

of  a  stranger  creates  comment,  and  every  movement  is  closely  scrutinized   art  of 
by  a  people  given  to  the  most  minute  observation.     The  man  himself,  the 
clothes  he  wears,  his  accoutrements  and  the  horse  he  rides — every  peculiar- 
ity is  made  mental  note  of.     Thus  it  is  easy  to  trace  him.     Cattlemen  and 

91 


92 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Windy  Smith 
taken  by 
surprise. 


A  wild  chase 
after  the 
bandits. 


prospectors  are  always  wandering  about  on  the  plains  or  in  the  mountains, 
and  the  solitary  life  they  lead  develops  an  acuteness  of  observation  and  a 
shrewdness  of  deduction  which  would  put  a  detective  to  the  blush.  Now  a 
bold  hold-up  occurred  just  a  mile  east  of  Samuels  a  few  years  ago.  Horse- 
shoes were  placed  on  the  track,  and  when  the  engine  began  bumping  over 
them,  of  course  the  engineer  put  on  the  brakes.  The  bandits  raided  the 
express  car  where  '  Windy '  Smith  was  in  charge.  '  Windy '  was  a  brave 
fellow,  and  had  killed  two  robbers  who  attacked  his  car  the  year  before  ; 
but  he  was  taken  by  surprise,  and  his  safe  relieved  of  $3,600.  He  was  so 
chagrined  that  he  resigned  at  once  and  left  the  service  of  the  Wells-Fargo 
Co.  Immediately  after  securing  the  booty  the  men,  John  Flynt,  Jack  Wel- 
lington, Tom  Fields  and  Jim  Lansford,  fled  across  the  Rio  Grande.  Pur- 
sued by  a  party  of  rangers  under  Capt.  Frank  Jones,  they  recrossed,  bury- 
ing the  money  at  a  camp  near  Bullis  Crossing.  The  chase  lasted  some 
three  weeks,  and  finally  the  robbers  were  overtaken  in  the  spurs  of  the  Sra. 
Charrote  Mountains  in  Crockett  county.  A  running  fight  took  place. 
Flynt,  the  leader,  had  declared  that  ._,  he  would  never  be  taken  alive  and 


INTERIOR   OF   THE  OLD   INDIAN   CHURCH   AT   YSLETA,   TEXAS. 

refused  to  surrender.  His  horse  was  shot  under  him,  and  as  he  fell  to  the 
ground  a  bullet  struck  him  in  the  heart.  Raising  himself  on  his  elbow  as 
he  lay  dying  upon  the  ground,  he  put  his  own  pistol  to  his  head  and  blew 
out  his  brains.  He  was  buried  where  he  fell.  Wellington's  horse  was  shot 
under  him  and  he  dodged  behind  a  rock.  Twice  he  leveled  .his  pistol  and 
took  aim  at  Jones,  who  dashed  in  pursuit  of  him,  but  each  time  he  dropped 
the  weapon  without  firing,  saying  afterwards  that  '  tho'  a  robber  and  a 
thief,  he  was  not  a  murderer  and  could  not  take  life.'  The  three  men  were 


A  WOMAN'S  HEROISM. 


93 


captured,  and  are  now  serving  life  sentences  in  the  United  States  peniten- 
tiary at  Detroit.  There  was  a  mystery  about  the  robbery  which  has  never 
been  cleared  up.  The  footprints  of  five  men  and  five  horses  were  found. 
One  of  the  human  footprints  showed  a  very  small  foot.  Lansford,  who 
turned  state's  evidence,  protested  that  there  were  only  four  in  the  gang,  but 
the  rangers  hold  to  this  day  that  there  was  a  fifth  person  who,  for  some 
unknown  reason,  was  shielded  and  escaped." 

"Marathon   is  another    place  with    a    history,"    remarked  the  Colonel. 
"  By  the   way,    they  have  struck  some 


Capture  of  the 
robbers  by  the 
rangers. 


Marathon,  939 
miles  from 
New  Orleans; 
altitude,  4,043 
feet. 


mighty  rich  silver  mines 
in  Mexico,  about  eighty  miles 
southwest  of  here.  The  ore 

THB   RIO   GRANDE    AT    EL    PASO. 

is    brought   across   the    Rio 

Grande  at  Boquells,  by  team  to  Marathon,  shipped  thence  in  bond  to  Eagle 
Pass,  and  from  there  to  Monterey  where  it  is  smelted." 

"But  that  isn't  the  history,  is  it,  papa?"  asked  the  Girl. 

"No,  the  story  I  had  in  mind  deals  with  the  courage  and  devotion  of  a  Thestoryot 
woman,"  replied  the  Colonel.  "W.  T.  Henderson,  who  formerly  lived  here,  courage  and 
was  extensively  engaged  in  the  stock  business.  There  was  great  temptation 
to  smuggle  cattle  or  horses  across  the  Rio  Grande,  because,  while  steers  in 
this  country  might  be  worth  $20.00  a  head,  in  Mexico  they  could  be  bought 
for  six  or  seven  dollars.  It  was  the  same  with  horses.  There  was  a  duty 
of  something  like  $15.00  a  head,  and  a  man  was  making  money  pretty  fast 
who  could  run  them  over  without  encountering  the  custom-house  authorities. 
The  river  forms  the  frontier  for  1,300  miles,  and  while  the  revenue  officers 
and  river  guard  are  vigilant  and  brave,  there  are  not  enough  of  them  to 
form  an  effectual  cordon.  In  October,  1893,  Henderson  was  arrested  for 
having  eighty-seven  head  of  smuggled  horses  in  his  possession.  I  should 
not  like  to  say,  of  course,  that  he  knew  they  were  smuggled,  but  anyhow 
he  was  sentenced  to  two  years  in  Kings  county  prison  in  New  York.  Just 


94  THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 

before  his  conviction  at  El  Paso  for  the  offense  referred  to,  his  wife  was  the 
heroine  of  a  remarkable  exploit.     She  had  been  a  school  teacher  in  Mara- 
Shewas  thon  before  her  marriage,  and  in  addition  to  being  a  bright  and  cultivated 

a  gun. y  1  woman,  was  very 'handy,' as  they  say  hereabouts,  with  a  Winchester.  Hen- 
derson and  one  of  his  Mexican  cowboys  were  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
herding  some  cattle,  when  thirteen  soldiers  of  the  sister  republic,  detailed 
to  protect  certain  American  ranchmen  there,  who  were  enemies  of  Hender- 
son, made  an  atack  upon  that  gentleman,  and  drove  him  into  a  canon  in 
the  mountains.  Here  the  pursued  held  the  soldiers  at  bay  for  a  time,  but 
finding  his  ammunition  running  low,  the  vaquero  slipped  out,  evaded  the 
soldiers,  and  rode  to  Marathon,  where  he  notified  Mrs.  Henderson  of  the 
situation.  The  Mexican  was  too  much  exhausted  to  return,  and  she  took 
A  night  nde  oi  a  supply  of  ammunition  and  started  alone  to  her  husband's  rescue.  She 

eighty  miles  to  .     .  . .  ...... 

the  rescue.  rode  the  eighty  miles,  mostly  by  night,  joined  her  husband,  and  together 
they  fought  and  put  to  flight  the  thirteen  soldiers,  and  escaped  to  their 
home." 

The  summit  of        From   Paisano   to   Marfa  the  road  runs  through  the  beautiful  Le  Sano 

Route,  984          Pass  of  the  Santa  del  Muerto  Mountains  for  fourteen  miles.     Paisano  is  the 

Newborieans.      summit  of  the  Sunset  Route,  glorying  in  an  altitude  of  5,082  feet.     The 

whole  pass  varies  but  little  from  this  high  altitude.     On   either  hand   the 

precipitous   bluffs    rise    at    an   acute   angle   thirteen   hundred   feet    higher. 

Their  steep  sides  are  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  live  oaks  that  makes 

a    shimmering    carpeting    of    living  green  all   the   year.      The  scenery   is 

m  the  van         exquisite  throughout  the  entire  distance.     From  Marfa  to  Sierra  Blanca  — 

ninety  miles  —  the  line  follows  the  great  Van  Home  Valley.     The  spurs  of 

the  Eagle  Mountains  are  on  the  left  —  the   Caresas  or  Santa  del  Muerto's 

on   the  right  —  and   the   valley,  maintaining  an  average   width   of   twenty 

miles,  is  as  level  as  a  floor,  the  elevation  above  the  sea  being  4,512  feet  at 

the  highest  point  and  4,012  at  the   lowest.     The  soil  is  as  fertile  as  any  in 

the  world,  but  the  absence  of  water  makes  it  unproductive.     At  Fay,  almost 

A  deep  well.       midway  of  the  valley,  the  Southern  Pacific  sank  a  well  to  a  depth  of  2,012 

feet,  but  secured  even  then  a  very  indifferent  flow  of  the  much  sought  fluid. 

This  is  the  favorite  grazing  ground  of  the  antelope,  and  often  herds  of  them 

can  be  seen  from  the  car  window.  • 

sierra Bianca,  "Sierra  Blanca,  just  east  of  which  is  the  monument  marking  the  i2oth 

of  Howard.1  er  meridian  of  west  longitude,  is  associated  with  the  historic  tragedy  which 
culminated  with  the  massacre  of  Charley  Howard  and  others,  in  December, 
1877,"  remarked  the  Growler.  "It  was  an  atrocity  that  will  never  be  for- 
gotten throughout  all  this  region.  Howard  had  achieved  a  good  deal  of 
distinction  and  had  been  judge  of  the  Twentieth  judicial  district.  He  had 
necessarily  incurred  political  and  other  enmities.  His  bitterest  enemy  was 
a  prominent  Italian  named  Cardise,  who  had  defeated  him  as  delegate  to  the 


TRAGEDIES   OF   THE   BORDER. 


95 


miles  east  of  El 
protection  of  a 
stationed  there. 


constitutional  convention  of  1876.  Their  animosity  culminated  in  a  shoot- 
ing affray  in  Schut's  store,  in  El  Paso,  in  which  Cardise  was  killed.  This 
would  not  have  aroused  the  populace  of  the  country  had  it  not  been  for 
another  circumstance.  North  of  Sierra  Blanca  are  extensive  salt  lakes  to 
which  the  Mexicans  had  been  in  the  habit  of  resorting  for  generations. 
Howard  had  acquired  control  of  the  adjacent  property  and  objected  to  the 
natives  running  over  it.  They  were  very  bitter  ^£SjS&jtSs*>^  on  this 
account.  After  the  killing  of  Cardise,  Howard  ^^  |^^  went 

to  Mexico  for  a  time,  and  when  he 
returned  on  his  way  to  attend  court  at 
Fort  Davis,  he  learned,  after  passing 
San  Elizario,  that  a  large  party  of  Mexi- 
cans had  assembled  for  the  purpose  of 
waylaying  him.  He  turned  back  to  San 
Elizario,  which  we  will  pass  twenty 

Paso,  and   sought  the 

company  of  rangers 
The  Mexicans  pur- 
sued Howard,  and  gathered  in  the  town 
five  or  six  hundred  strong.  Howard  and 
the  rangers  retreated  to  the  corral  and 
held  their  assailants  at  bay  for  four  or 
five  days,  a  desultory  fight  being  kept  up 
all  the  time.  During  this  time  Charley 
Ellis,  a  resident  of  the  place  who  had 

not  retreated  to  the  corral,  was  caught,     INTERIOR  OF  THE  OLD  CHURCH  AT  JUAREZ. 

killed  and  his  body  thrown  into  a  well  where  it  was  found  many  clays  after- 
ward. At  the  end  of  five  days  communication  was  established  between  the 
two  forces,  and  on  the  promise  that  their  lives  should  be  spared  the 
beleaguered  party  surrendered.  Disregarding  their  pledge  the  Mexicans  at 
once  proceeded  to  a  viva-voce  trial  of  their  prisoners  to  determine  whether 
they  should  be  executed  or  not.  The  verdict  in  Howard's  case,  the  first  one 
to  be  tried,  was  death,  and  he  was  immediately  led  to  a  stone  wall  and 
riddled  with  bullets.  A  Mexican  named  Desedario  Appadoca  sprang  forward 
as  he  fell,  and  placing  his  bare  foot  upon  the  dead  man's  breast,  aimed  a 
blow  at  his  throat  with  a  macheta  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  his  head  off,  but 
the  stroke  was  misdirected,  and  Appadoca's  great  toe  was  cut  off  instead. 
John  McBride  was  the  next  man  tried.  When  he  surrendered  the  Mexicans 
had  taken  $i  1,000  which  was  in  his  possession.  He  was  condemned  to  death, 
and  after  being  jeered  at  when  he  reminded  them  of  the  promised  protec- 
tion, he  indignantly  exclaimed:  'Shoot,  then,  damn  you,  and  shoot  high.' 
The  shots  from  the  first  volley  struck  him  in  the  abdomen,  and  he  called 


Shot  his 
political 
antagonist 


Brought  to 
bay  at  San 
Elizario. 


Imposing  the 
death  sentence 
by  popular 
vote. 


"  Shoot,  damn 
you,  and  shoot 
high." 


THE  TRAGEDIES  OF  THE  BORDER.  97 

out:  'Shoot  higher,  you  infernal  cowards.'  The  next  volley  pierced  his 
breast,  but  as  he  lay  upon  the  ground,  torn  by  a  score  of  bullets,  he  raised 
himself  a  little  and  pointed  to  his  head.  A  blaze  of  rifles  followed,  and  at 
last  he  was  dead.  Charlie  Atkinson  was  next  shot  to  death,  and  then,  sick 
of  the  cruel  slaughter,  the  Mexican  leader  checked  his  atrocious  followers, 
and  declared  that  if  another  life  was  taken  it  should  be  his.  The  Mexicans 
dispersed  soon  after,  most  of  them  crossing  to  their  native  soil,  and  though 
several  hundred  indictments  were  returned  none  of  the  murderers  were 
ever  brought  to  trial." 

"Oh,  how  horrible!"  said  the  Girl.  "And  do  these  awful  things  happen  yet  ?" 
"Oh,  no,"  replied  the  Growler;  "they  belong  to  the  past  of  the  country,  Theybeiongto 
before  society  had  become  organized.     This  was  the  history  of   all  new  l 
countries.     To-day  life  is  as  safe  in  Texas  as  anywhere,  and  a  man  can 
travel  all  over  it  unarmed  and  secure'." 

"While  we  are  on  the  subject,"  said  the  Colonel,  "it  was  just  fifteen  AnearK- 
miles  north  of  the  little  station  of  Fay  that  the  Graham  family  was  mur-  massacre 
dered  by  the  Victorio  band  of  Apaches  in  June,  1880.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Graham  were  in  a  wagon  train  and  on  their  way  to  Silver  City,  then  in  the 
heyday  of  its  prosperous  boom.  They,  with  their  wagons,  were  cut  off 
from  the  rest  of  the  party  and  killed  in  Bass'  Canon,  named  after  Sam  Bass, 
a  famous  Texas  outlaw  of  early  days.  General  Grierson,  in  command  of 
the  loth  Cavalry,  took  up  the  pursuit  of  the  Apaches,  and  on  August  2d 
had  a  fight  with  them  at  the  eighteen-mile  water-hole  west  of  Eagle 
Springs.  During  the  night  the  redskins  broke  camp  and  escaped,  heading 
for  the  Guadalupe  Mountains,  in  whose  fastnesses  they  would  have  been 
comparatively  safe  from  pursuit.  But  General  Grierson,  by  a  forced  night 
march,  headed  them  off  and  drove  them  across  the  Rio  Grande  at  Fort 
Quitman.  A  month  later  the  Mexican  troops  fell  upon  the  band  and  anni- 
hilated them.  After  the  Indians  had  been  driven  into  Mexico,  Major  J.  R. 
Livermore,  in  command  of  Troop  K  of  the  8th  Cavalry,  operating  with 
General  Grierson,  did  some  engineering  work  in  this  part  of  Texas,  and 
among  other  things  measured,  in  September,  1880,  the  peak  which  bears  The  measuring 

.  .  .  .  of  Livermore's 

his  name,  and  which  it  so  conspicuous,  towering  over  against  the  Quitman   Peak. 
Mountains,  seen  beyond  Sierra  Blanca.     It  is  the  highest  on  the  Sunset 
Line,  rising  to  a  height  of  8,200  feet. 

"  Here's  Malone  Station  ;  come  out  on  the  platform,  and  see  the  horse- 
shoe curve,"  said  the  Colonel. 

The  horseshoe  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  pieces  of  engineering  on   The  great 

horseshoe 

this  part  of  the  road.     On  the  wild  sweep  of  broken  and  mountain-hemmed   curve  near 

.   .  Malone. 

plain  it  describes  an  almost  complete  circle — a  ten-degree  curve  with  a  one 
per  cent  grade  all  the  way.  It  is  a  mile  around,  and  after  forming  the  loop 
is  less  than  two  hundred  yards  between  tracks. 


98 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Where  the 
Mission  grape 
grows. 


Ysleta  and  its 
quaint  Indian 
population. 


A  tradition 
and  an 
inference. 


For  fifty  miles  on  each  side  of  El  Paso  is  a  country  susceptible,  with  irri- 
gation, of  the  highest  cultivation.  It  is  the  natural  home  of  the  Mission 
grape,  which  from  the  peculiarities  of  soil  and  atmosphere  and  climate  here 
takes  on  a  flavor  equaled  by  no  other  grown  elsewhere.  These  grapes 
were  originally  brought  from  Spain  by  the  early  Catholic  priests,  and  have 
flourished  here  ever  since.  Much  wine  was  once  made  in  the  region,  but 
now  so  great  is  the  demand  for  the  product  for  table  use  that  almost  all  are 
shipped  for  that  purpose  as  they  ripen.  The  average  altitude  of  the  district 
is  3,700  feet,  but  beside  the  vine,  all  varieties  of 
fruit,  including  quinces,  peaches  and  pears,  grow 
to  perfection. 

At  Ysleta,  a  quaint  town  of  adobe  houses  set 
down  in  broad  green  fields  and  shady  orchards,  an 
ancient  irrigating  system  shows  what  can  be  done 
with  even  primitive  agricultural  methods.  Here 
lives  the  remnant  of  an  old  tribe  of  Indians  be- 
longing to  the  Pueblos,  maintaining  their  language, 
Catholic  in  their  belief,  but  preserving  their  ancient 
traditions  in  spite  of  the  innovation  in  their  faith, 
and  celebrating,  with  weird  rites  and  spectral 
fires  upon  the  mountain  tops,  the  season  of  harvest 
and  of  sowing.  They  keep  to  themselves,  and 
will  take  no  part  in  any  mining,  tho'  credited  with 
a  knowledge  as  to  the  location  of  rich  and  virgin 
veins.  The  story  goes  that  when  the  Spaniards 
A  NATIVE  OF  JUAREZ.  conquered  Mexico,  the  forefathers  of  these  Indians 
of  Ysleta  were  among  the  natives  who  were  confined  in  the  silver  mines  and 
compelled  to  work,  ill  fed  and  oppressed  by  a  slavery  that  was  the  death  of 
thousands.  After  the  Spaniards  were  driven  out,  the  aborigines  entered 
into  a  compact  never  to  show  a  mine  to  any  one  nor  to  work  in  one  them- 
selves. They  even  filled  with  dirt  and  rocks  the  old  shafts  which  were  the 
scenes  of  their  sufferings,  and  planted  trees  and  cacti  over  them  to  hide  all 
traces  of  their  existence.  And  the  traveler  who  looks  out  of  his  window  at 
the  bronzed  and  stolid  faces  in  the  fields  must  wonder  whether  under  those 
grim  and  expressionless  features  is  hidden  a  memory  of  their  wrongs  and 
the  secret  of  wealth  locked  up  in  the  somber  hills  that  buttress  the  world 
hereabouts. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

EL    PASO,    JUAREZ    AND    THE    GATEWAY    TO    MEXICO — THE    MECCA    FOR 

THE    INVALID THE    ROMANCE    OF    ITS    EARLY    FOUNDING 

THE    SANTA    FE    EXPEDITION. 

UNDER  the  shadow  of  Mt.  Franklin,  and  with  the  blue  peaks  of  the   EI  Paso,  the 
Organ,    Hueco  and   Guadalupe   Mountains  grimly  guarding  it  on  gateway  to 
the  north  and  east,  and  the  Sierra  Madre  standing  like  a  wall  far  off  to  the   mfilsfrom94 
south — girdled  about  by  the  turbid  Rio  Grande,  and  fringed  with  a  scat-   NewOrleans- 
tered  tracery  of    low  adobes — El    Paso    stands    as   the 
western  gateway  to  Mexico.     Across  the  river  is  the  old 
Mexican  town  of  Ciudad  Juarez,  or  Paso  del  Norte, 
as  it  was  set  down  in  the  geographies  of  our  boy- 
hood.    In  its  ancient  church  built  more  than  three  .^IBfl^^       r-        is  the  ancient 
hundred  years  ago,  and  dedicated  now  to  the  Lady      ^f  juare£°f 
of  Guadalupe,  the  worshipers  come  and  go  as  they 
have   for  ten   generations,   kneeling   or  crouching 
picturesquely  upon  the  puncheon  floor,  in  the  dim 
light  and  before  the  tinseled  altar  with  its  twink- 
ling tapers.     On  the  rude  walls  are  the    pictures 
of  saints,  and  above  is  the  ceiling  of  wondrously 
carved  logs  that  were  carried  in  on  the  backs  of 

burros.    Overhead  in  the  squat  tower,  surmounted       NOT  PRETTY%  BUT  HE-S  A 
by  a  tall  cross,  the  clamor  of  harsh  bells  rings  out,  GOOD  INDIAN- 

to  be  softened  into  faint  melody  as  the  sound  is  borne  to  the  fields  beyond, 
where  the  humble  tiller  of  the  soil  looks  up  from  his  work  to  reverently 
cross  himself.  Here,  for  sixty  years,  Cour  Ortiz  has  said  mass  and  done 
good  deeds  of  charity  among  his  simple  flock,  and  with  his  kindly  face  will 
greet  you  heartily,  if  you  go  that  way. 

There  is  a  wonderland  all  about  El  Paso  that  the  uninformed  tourist  The  fruitful 
wots  not  of.  Indeed,  it  is  yet  a  sealed  book,  but  to  the  few.  To  the  north 
and  northeast,  in  New  Mexico,  are  wild  mountain  chains  with  snow-capped 
summits,  twelve  thousand  feet  in  height,  clad  to  the  verdure  line  with  the 
long-leaf  yellow  pine,  with  spruce  and  cedar,  juniper  and  oak.  Game 
abounds,  and  the  swift  streams  are  filled  with  trout.  It  is  a  region  wonder- 
fully rich  in  mineral,  with  vast  deposits  of  gypsum,  gold,  silver,  lead,  copper, 

99 


100 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Wealth  locked 
up  in  the 
mountains. 


Don't  think  of 
El  Paso  as  a 
slow  place. 


You  can    have 
any  kind  of 
time  you  want 


nickel,  coal,  salt,  crystalized  borax,  sulphur,  etc.  Under  the  spurs  of  the 
Sacramento  .Mountains,  Tiffany,  the  New  York  jeweler,  owns  a  turquois 
mine  so  rich  that  two  men  working  in  it  sixty  days  each  year  bring  to  the 
surface  $25,000.00  worth  of  the  precious  stone,  and  for  the  rest  of  the  year, 
lest  the  market  be  overstocked,  the  mine  remains  locked  up.  In  the  shel- 
tered valleys  of  this  region  fruits  and  every  field  product  grow  abundantly. 
One  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  southwest,  in  the  Valley  of  Corralltas, 
in  the  Sierra  Madres,  is  another  region  of  wealth,  where  the  richest  silver 
and  copper  veins  await  development.  Of  this  region,  of  which.  El  Paso  is 
the  commercial  center,  comprising  the  states  of  Chihuahua,  Sonora  and 
Durango,  in  Mexico,  and  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  in  the  United  States, 
Humboldt  said  it  included  the  greatest  and  most  varied  mineral  deposits  in 
the  world. 

El  Paso,  with  its  present  population  of  11,000,  was  first  connected  with 
the  world  by  rail  when  the  Southern  Pacific  reached  there  May  13,  1881. 
It  is  now  the  most  progressive,  substantial  and  enterprising  city  between 
San  Antonio  and  the  coast,  and  the  progress  of  its  past  is  only  a  foreshad- 
owing of  the  greatness  of  its  future.  Everything  about  it  is  modern,  its 
superb  business  blocks,  handsome  Federal  building,  its  homes,  its  shops  and 
stores,  its  municipal  administration.  And  in  addition  to  all  this,  it  has  the 
best  climate  in  the  world  for  people  suffering  from  pulmonary  affections. 

The  only  thing  perplexing  about  El  Paso  is  the  time.  It  has  four  brands 
of  time,  and  the  citizen  takes  his  choice.  They  used  to  have  four  or  five 

other  varieties,  but  so  many  people  became  insane 
in  the  attempt  to  keep  their 


FT.    ULISS,    EL   PASO,    TEXAS 


meet  appointments  that  now  they  have  only  four.  Between  New  Orleans 
and  El  Paso  Central  time  is  adhered  to,  Pacific  time  from  there  west.  The 
difference  is  two  hours,  so  if  you  arrive  at  El  Paso  at  11.15  A.  M.  and  wait 
there  an  hour  and  three-quarters,  you  still  get  away  at  n.oo  A.  M.,  and 
experience  no  delay.  Then  there  is  local  time  and  Mexican  time  besides. 

This  Valley  of  the  Rio  Grande,  of  which  El  Paso  is  a  little  north  of  the 
center,  extends  from  Rincon  to  the  Quitman  Mountains  —  a  distance  of  190 


EL   PASO.  101 

miles,  and  with  an  average  width  of  three.     At  present  it  has  a  population   Thevaiieyof 
of  about  sixty  thousand  people.     With   irrigation  its  fine  alluvial  soil  will   Grande, 
support  millions.     There  are  several  propositions  for  more  extensive  irri- 
gating schemes  than  are  now  used. 

We  were  all  glad  that  our  train  stopped  here  long  enough  for  the  Colonel 
to  introduce  us  to  Judge  J.  F.  Crosby,  who  fortunately  happened  to  be  at 
the  station,  and  we  were  glad  to  chat  with  him  about  the  early  life  of  the 
place. 

"This  was  all  known  as  Ponce's  ranch  when  I  came  here  in  May,  1852,"  The  story  of 
remarked  the  Judge.     "It  was  the  property  of  a  somewhat  distinguished   times""3 
Mexican  named  Ponce  de  Leon.     A  few  Americans  had  preceded  me,  drift- 
ing here  after  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War  when  General  Sterling  Price 
and  Colonel  Donaphan  had  marched  through  here.    The  old  adobe  buildings 
of  the  hacienda  were  clustered  close  to  where  the  Southern  Pacific  depot 
now  stands.     Franklin  Kuntz  had  bought  the   ranch  in  1850,  but  failed  to 
pay  for  it,  and  after  the  death  of  Ponce,  in  1857,  the  estate  was  purchased 
by  W.  T.  Smith.     In  the  same  year  I  was  elected  Judge  of  all  the  territory 
lying  west  of  the  Pecos  River.     In  1859  I  organized  a  syndicate  of  St.  Louis  The  real-estate 
parties,  bought  the  estate  and  laid  off  forty  acres  in  town  lots.     The  coming  Slfthe^ene! 
on  of  the  war  balked  our  financial  venture  for  the  time,  but  in  spite  of  all 
vicissitudes  the  place  throve." 

"  Pretty  rough  in  those  days,  was  it  not,  Judge  ? "  I  asked. 

"Well,"  said  the  Judge,  with  a  sly  glance  at  the  Girl,  "  I  was  married  in   Abridaitour 
Austin  in  1856,  and  it  required  a  journey  of  sixty-five  days  for  my  seventeen- 
year-old  bride  and  myself  to  reach  home." 

"What  a  wedding  trip!  "  exclaimed  the  Girl. 

"  Yes,  and  it  was  one  made  exciting  by  the  constant  menace  of  hostile 
Apaches,  as  well  as  irksome  by  the  cruel  jolting  of  the  wagons,"  was  the 
reply.  "Between  the  years  1852  and  1862  I  crossed  the  plains  twenty-two 
times,  and  never  made  the  trip  in  less  than  fifty  days.  Now  you  think  noth- 
ing, of  going  from  New  Orleans  to  San  Francisco  on  the  'Sunset  Limited' 
in  seventy-seven  hours,  with  sumptuous  palace  cars  at  your  disposal,  a  perfect 
cuisine,  library,  barber  shop  and  smoking  compartments;  you  go  to  bed  Your  scalp  is 
when  you  feel  disposed  and  get  up  when  you  please,  knowing  that  perfect  tmveTnow. 
service  to  satisfy  all  needs  awaits  you,  but  we  had  the  rough  experience  of 
jolting  wagons  or  stages,  camp-fire  cooking,  constant  menace  from  warlike 
Indians,  and  often  a  scarcity  of  palatable  water." 

"How  did  you  keep  in  touch  with  the  outside  world  ? "  I  asked. 

"Fairly  well,"  replied  the  Judge.     "  We  did  not  then  seem  to  need  the  Thisistheway 
daily  telegraphic  report.     The  first  mail  service  we  had  brought  in  the  mail  fromt 
every  two  months.     Then  it  was  made  monthly,  and  finally,  at  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war,  made  semi-weekly  from  San  Antonio  to  Fort  Smith. 


102 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  mail  route  —  by  stage,  of  course  —  was  from  San  Antonio  to  Fort 
Clarke,  then  to  Fort  Hudson,  on  Devil's  River,  thence  to  Fort  Lancaster, 
near  where  the  Southern  Pacific  now  crosses  the  Pecos,  then  up  that  stream 
and  westerly  to  Fort  Stockton,  then  on  to  Fort  Davis,  ten  miles  from  the 
present  site  of  Marfa,  then  to  Fort  Quitman,  San  Elsiana,  Fort  Bliss  and 
El  Paso.  Six  or  eight  guards  were  carried  on  the  mail  coaches  and  the 
passengers,  who  were  all  armed,  were  expected  to  take  their  turn  at  guard 


A  STREKT  SCENE  IN  JUAREZ,   OPPOSITK   El,  PASO. 

duty.  In  1852  there  was  not  a  human  habitation  from  Fort  Clarke.  130 
miles  west  of  San  Antonio,  to  El  Paso.  The  Apaches,  Comanches  and 
Mescalero  Indians  roamed  the  plains,  and  no  one  went  beyond  the  outskirts 
of  the  settlements  without  the  menace  of  massacre." 

"  But  there  must  have  been  plenty  cf  business  of  some  sort  here  to  draw 
Americans,"  I  ventured. 

"An   immense   traffic  grew  up,"   was  the   reply.    "Long  wagon  trains 

came  in  from  Independence,  Missouri,  over  the  Santa  Fe  trail.     These  were 

loaded  with  dry  goods,  groceries  and  hardware,  and  here  met  the  equally 

extensive  shipments  of  bullion  and  othe*  products  of  Mexico.     It  was  not 

unusual  for  a  single  store  to  sell  $100,000  worth  of  goods  in  a  day,  and 

Money  was  the  money  was  actually  more  plentiful  than  any  of  the  commodities  demanded 

oommodi?ydan*  m  daily  living.     We  paid  fifty  cents  per  pound  for  coffee,  sugar  and  rice; 

twenty-five  cents  a  yard  for  calicoes  and  domestics,  and  twenty  dollars  a 

pair  for  boots." 

"  What  was  the  character  of  your  population  then,  Judge  ? "  I  asked. 
The feiiow  "Border  outlaws  were  numerous  and  vicious,  for  when  the  vigilance 

was  there"         committees  drove  them  out  of  California  they  sought  this  as  neutral  ground. 


EL   PASO.  103 

They  did  not  steal,  were  deferential  to  women  and  lenient  with  men  of 
family,  but  shooting  and  killing  affrays  were  of  daily  occurrence,  and  mur- 
derers were  seldom,  if  ever,  convicted  ;  for  it  was  an  understood  principle 
that  as  each  man  knew  what  was  likely  to  occur  and  went  prepared,  he  con- 
stituted a  law  unto  himself.  Yet,  even  in  that  lawless  era,  property  was  so 
secure  and  honor  so  highly  esteemed  that  there  was  not  a  safe  in  the  coun- 
try, and  mortgages  were  unknown.  The  failure  to  pay  a  debt  or  meet  an 
obligation,  when  it  matured,  was  tantamount  to  ostracism  and  compelled 
the  defaulter  to  leave." 

"  There  is  a  fact  in  Judge  Crosby's  life  which  should  be  remembered,"   waswiththe 
said  the  Colonel,  reflectively;  "because  it  is  a  curious  circumstance,  and   fitVyears  lr 
perhaps  a  unique  one.     He  was  the  attorney  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Rail-   bui°t!ei 
way  Company  thirty-five  years  before  it  was  built." 

The  Judge  smiled,  and  replied  :  "That  is  true,  and  the  circumstance  is 
a  peculiar  one.  The  Southern  Pacific  was  the  first  of  the  transcontinental 
railways  to  be  projected.  The  proposition  took  shape  during  the  adminis- 
tration of  Franklin  Pierce,  in  1853,  when  Jefferson  Davis  was  Secretary  of 
War.  The  latter  took  much  interest  in  it,  and  Senators  Rusk  and  Houston 
were  its  earnest  advocates.  The  company  was  organized  in  New  York, 
and  John  C.  Fremont  was  sent  to  France  to  float  the  bonds.  In  the  Texas 


MEXICAN   VILLAGE  SCENE  NEAR   EL  PASO. 

legislature  of  1854,  of  which  I  was  a  member,  a  charter  was  granted,  Levy 
S.  Chatfield,  of  New  York,  the  president  of  the  company,  being  in  Austin 
to  help  influence  the  members.  After  the  close  of  the  session  I  was 
employed  as  attorney  for  the  road  at  El  Paso,  and  instructed  to  investigate 
the  probable  resources  of  the  country  tributary  to  the  line.  For  this  pur- 
pose I  made  an  extensive  trip  into  Mexico,  as  well  as  through  Arizona  and 
New  Mexico,  and  duly  forwarded  my  report  to  the  capitalists  interested. 
A  controversy  over  the  bond  issue,  and  the  coming  on  of  the  war,  delayed 


104 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Time  squared 
the  account. 


An  Indian 
fighter  with  a 
record. 


Where  the 
National 
boundary  line 
luns. 


The  Santa  Fe 
expedition. 


A  pleasant 
walk  of  2,000 
miles. 


the  actual  work  of  construction  and  led  to  the  disorganization  of  the  orig- 
inal company,  but  twenty-five  years  later,  in  1870,  I  was  instrumental  in 
helping  to  build  the  old  Texas  &  New  Orleans  R.  R.  from  Houston  to  the 
Sabine  River,  and  it  afterwards  became  a  link  in  the  great  Southern  Pacific 
system  as  it  exists  to  day." 

"  There  is  a  typical  frontiersman,"  said  the  Girl,  pointing  to  a  bronzed, 
wiry  looking  man  who  had  just  ridden  up  to  the  depot. 

"That,"  said  the  Growler,  "  is  George  Herold,  one  of  the  noted  Indian 
fighters  of  the  West.  You  can  find  many  men  like  him  hereabouts,  and 
their  lives  would  read  like  romances  of  the  most  vividly  yellow-backed 
order.  He  spent  twenty  years  as  a  scout  and  Indian  fighter,  part  of  the 
time  employed  by  the  United  States,  and  part  by  the  Mexican  government. 
He  has  been  shot  a  dozen  times.  He  was  present  at  the  fight  in  which 
Victorio  was  killed  in  the  Custac  Mountains,  two  hundred  miles  southwest 
of  El  Paso.  In  that  memorable  encounter  ninety-eight  Indians  were  killed 
and  ninety-four  captured,  and  the  most  desperate  band  of  Apaches  thus 
quieted.  Herold  was  the  first  man  to  reach  Victorio  after  he  fell,  and  took 
his  scalp,  which  he  carried  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  where  the  government 
paid  him  $250  for  it,  as  they  did  for  all  Indian  scalps  at  that  time.  He 
scouted  after  Geronimo  twice,  and  was  with  Lieutenant  Finley  at  the  time 
of  his  capture." 

Three  miles  out  of  El  Paso,  set  down  among  the  sand  bluffs,  is  the  great 
smelter  of  the  Consolidated  Kansas  City  Smelting  and  Refining  Co.,  and  but 
a  little  further  on  one  catches  .sight,  in  the  river  bottom  and  on  the  distant 
hilltop,  of  the  first  and  second  of  those  stone  monuments  which  mark  the 
boundary  between  the  two  countries,  and  which  are  set  down  every  few 
miles  from  here  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 

"  No  more  graphic  story  of  suffering  could  be  written,"  said  the  Colonel, 
"than  that  which  was  enacted  hereabouts  in  1841.  Under  the  presidency 
of  Mirabeau  B.  Lamar,  of  the  Texas  republic,  an  expedition,  composed  of 
some  350  adventurers,  was  fitted  out  at  Austin,  then  the  extreme  western 
limit  of  settlement,  to  establish  trade  relations  with  the  people  in  this  sec- 
tion. Texas  claimed  the  country,  and  so  did  Mexico.  The  expedition, 
after  suffering  untold  hardships,  and  being  subject  to  continuous  harassing 
of  the  Indians  until  their  number  was  reduced  to  two  hundred,  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  Mexicans,  who  marched  them  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  more 
than  two  thousand  miles  away,  where  the  survivors  were  imprisoned.  The 
horrors  of  that  march  are  indescribable.  Before  starting  on  their  long 
journey  the  prisoners  were  paraded  on  the  plaza  of  the  little  town  of  San 
Miguel,  and  two  of  their  number  shot  as  a  sort  of  object-lesson.  These 
poor  fellows  were  compelled  to  kneel  and  be  shot  in  the  back  by  a  file  of 
soldiers  at  six  paces.  One  of  them,  Howland  by  name,  had  his  ear  and  a 


THE   SANTA   FE   EXPEDITION. 


105 


portion  of  his  cheek  cut  off  by  a  sword,  and,  though  bloody  and  disfigured,   showed  them 
walked   proudly  to  his  death.     He  was   thus  murdered  while    protesting  could  die. 
against  the  indignity  of  dying  'face  to  rear,'  but  with  a  firm  'good-bye, 
boys,'  upon  his  lips. 

"  The  story  of  the  weary  tramp  to  Paso  del  Norte  (now  El  Paso),  with  its 
accompaniment  of  brutalities,  the  lack  of  food  and  clothing,  of  hunger, 
would   be    long   in  telling.     These 
unfortunates   depended 


THE  SMELTER  AT  EL  PASO. 


Took  their  ears 
as  vouchers. 


almost  entirely  upon  the  charity  of  the  noble  women  of  the  country  through 
which  they  passed  for  food  and  succor.  The  crowning  atrocities  of  the 
creature  Salazar,  who  was  in  command  of  the  guard,  were  perpetrated  to  the 
northeast  of  where  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  crosses  the  Rio  Grande, 
and  during  the  few  days  marches  before  arriving  at  El  Paso.  A  man  named 
Earnest  died  of  fatigue  and  starvation.  His  ears  were  cut  off  and  care- 
fully preserved,  as  evidence  of  the  fact  that  he  had  not  escaped. 

''  Shortly  afterwards  something  even  more  horrible  occurred.  A  tall 
Tennesseean,  by  the  name  of  McAllister,  had  sprained  his  ankle,  and  was 
besides  so  exhausted  and  footsore  as  to  be  incapacitated  from  further 
marching.  McAllister  declared  his  inability  to  proceed  on  foot.  Salazar 
drew  his  sword  and  peremptorily  ordered  him  to  hurry  on  ;  and  this  when 
there  were  half  a  dozen  led  mules,  upon  either  of  which  he  could  have 
placed  the  unfortunate  man.  Again  McAllister,  pointing  to  his  swollen  and 
inflamed  ankle,  declared  himself  unable  to  walk.  Once  more  the  blood- 
thirsty savage,  pointing  to  the  main  body  of  the  prisoners,  ordered  the 
cripple  to  hurry  forward  and  overtake  them.  He  could  not.  'Forward,'  Murdered 
said  Salazar,  now  wrought  up  to  a  fit  of  frenzy;  '  Forward,  or  I'll  shoot  you  couldn't  walk. 
on  the  spot.' 

"  '  Then  shoot,'  replied  McAllister,  throwing  off  his  blanket  and  exposing 
his  breast;  'and  the  quicker  the  better.' 

"  Salazar  took  him  at  his  word,  and  a  single  ball  sent  as  brave  a  man  as 
ever  trod  the  earth  to  eternity.     His  ears  were  then  cut  off  his  shirt  and 


106 


THROUGH   STURYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Knocked  his 
brains  out  this 
time. 


And  such  as 
these  made 
settlement 
possible. 


pantaloons  stripped  from  him,  and  his  body  thrown  by  the  wayside  as  food 
for  the  wolves. 

"Another  man  named  Golpin,  a  merchant,  who  had  joined  the  expedi- 
tion with  a  small  amount  of  goods,  was  shot  by  the  rear  guard  for  no  other 
reason  than  that  he  was  too  sick  and  weak  to  keep  up. 

"Yet  another  instance:  A  man  named  Griffith,  who  had  been  wounded 
by  the  Indians,  too  lame  and  weak  to  go  further,  sank  down.  A  soldier 
told  him  to  rise.  He  made  a  last  feeble  but  ineffectual  effort,  casting  an 
imploring  look  at  the  soldier,  and  while  doing  so  the  miscreant  knocked  his 
brains  out  with  a  musket.  His  blanket  was  torn  from  him,  as  the  reward 
of  his  murderer,  his  ears  cut  off,  and  he  was  thrown  by  the  roadside,  another 
feast  for  the  buzzards  and  wolves.  These  atrocities  are  facts  testified  to  by 
more  than  two  hundred  witnesses. 


INTERNATIONAL   CROSSING  ON   THE  RIO  GRANDE  JUST   WEST  OF   EL   PASO. 

'•'A  few  miles  out  from  El  Paso,  about  where  the  smelter  now  stands, 
yet  another  poor  devil  succumbed  to  the  hardships.  His  body  was  stripped, 
Salazar  taking  his  usual  voucher  as  evidence  of  his  not  having  escaped. 

"Arriving  in  El  Paso,  or  rather  Paso  del  Norte,  now  known  as  Juarez, 
the  prisoners  were  treated  by  the  whole  population  with  exceeding  kindness. 
Salazar  was  removed  from  the  command  and  imprisoned.  The  journey 
from  El  Paso  to  the  City  of  Mexico  was,  as  compared  with  the  horrors 
endured  before,  but  an  evening  promenade." 


CHAPTER   XV. 


SOME    NOTES    ON    THE    LINE    ACROSS    NEW    MEXICO — A    FRONTIER    COURT 
INCIDENT — MOUNTAIN    CHAINS    AND    FERTILE    VALLEYS. 


I 


A   NATIVE    OF    THF.   COUNTRY. 


N  a  few  minutes  after  leaving  the  smelter  the 
train  passes  over  the  iron  bridge  of  the  Rio 
Grande,  and  the  tourist  is  in  New  Mexico,  across 
the  southwestern  corner  of  which  the  road  runs 
for  some  250  miles.  For  a  long  time  the  track 
follows  closely  the  windings  of  the  river,  amid 
blue  lines  of  hills,  while  far-off  high  peaks  stand 
like  solitary  sentinels.  Then  yellow  and  white 
sand  plains  intervene,  clad  in  scant  verdure  of 
cacti,  spear-grass  and  mesquite. 

"What   a   beautiful    lake!"    exclaimed    the 
Girl,  suddenly.     "  See  its  little  islands  and  the 
fringe  of  cool-looking  trees  along  the  shore." 

The  Colonel  laughed  softly.  "You  will  see  charming  lakes  from  now  on 
at  intervals  until  we  get  across  the  desert  of  the  Colorado,  well  into  Cali- 
fornia," said  he.  "  They  are  such  stuff  as  dreams  are  made  of.  There  is 
no  water  here,  no  dreamy  isles,  no  fringe  of  foliage,  nothing  but  the  desert 
sands  and  the  palpitating  air  that  makes  the  illusion.  Your  lake  is  a 
mirage,  and  you  will  see  many  such." 

"The  people  scarcely  know  what  the  possibilities  of  the  territory  are," 
remarked  the  Growler.  "  Her  limits  comprise  some  seventy-eight  million 
acres,  and  the  population  is  perhaps  two  hundred  thousand.  It  has  great 
valleys,  susceptible  of  the  highest  cultivation,  and  its  fruit  and  live  stock 
interests  are  as  extensive  as  its  mining  and  timber  industries.  The  wool 
clip  of  1894  was  over  twelve  million  pounds,  the  coal  fields  are  extensive, 
the  timber  districts  vast  and  profitable.  Besides,  it  is  a  land  of  blue  skies 
and  sunshine,  where  in  winter  it  is  not  uncomfortably  cool  in  the  sun  and  in 
summer  never  disagreeably  warm  in  the  shade,  where  the  dryness  of  the 
climate  is  not  intermittent  but  perpetual,  and  the  average  relative  humidity 
is  from  twenty-nine  to  forty-three  per  cent,  against  sixty-nine  per  cent  in 
Boston  and  seventy-three  per  cent  in  Buffalo.  Practically  the  climate  is  the 
same  as  Arizona,  where,  in  the  Salt  River  Valley,  the  average  spring  tem- 


A  cross  New 
Mexico. 


The  mirage 
shows  up. 


A  territory 
few  know 
much  about. 


A  climate  that 
is  death  to 
microbes. 


108 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Pioneer  justice 
in  Donna  Ana 
county. 


The  attorney 
makes  a  grave 
charge. 


perature  is  70°,  summer  90°,  autumn  73°,  winter  56°;  highest  ever  recorded, 
115°,  lowest  22°,  average  annual  72°." 

"  We  are  just  now  in  Donna  Ana  county,"  said  the  Colonel.  "  It  extends 
from  the  boundary  line  almost  to  Deming,  and  was  for  a  good  many  years 
a  pretty  wild  region.  There  was  a  trial  here  at  one  time  which  had  about 


as  humorous  a 
A  Mexican  whom 
he  was  well 
rather  touchy 
man  whom 


C 


denouement  as  I  recall. 
I  will  call  Dorengo,  as 
related  and  his  kin  are 
about  him  yet,  killed  a 
he  had  forbidden  to 
meet  his  daughter;  just 
took  a  double-barreled 
shotgun  and  went  into  a 
neighbor's  house,  where 
the  young  fellow  was 
sitting  with  the  girl  on 
his  lap,  and  blew  the  top 
of  his  head  off.  Colonel 
Rynerson  was  prosecut- 
ing attorney  at  the  time, 
and  Colonel  Fountain 
was  employed  by  the 
defense,  thus  putting  the 
two  leading  criminal  lawyers 
against  each  other  in  a  bat- 
tle royal. 

Colonel  Fountain  soon  found 
that  if  he  relied  on  facts  and  evi- 
dence to  clear  or  even  postpone  the 
fate  of  his  client,  he  would  be  'up  a 
tree,'  so  he  cast  about  for  other  means 
of  getting  his  man  off,  but  apparently 
to  no  purpose. 

"At  last  the  day  of  the  trial  came, 
and  the  court-room  was  crowded.  The 
examination  of  the  witnesses  for  the 
prosecution  was  over,  and  Colonel  Fountain  arose  and  addressed  the  court. 
Said  he:  '  May  it  please  the  court,  if  any  one  had  told  me  that  an  attorney 
of  the  standing  and  reputation  of  Colonel  Rynerson  would  stoop  so  low  for 
the  sake  of  the  paltry  praise  that  might  come  to  him  for  the  conviction  of 
my  poor  client  here  as  to  browbeat  and  intimidate  my  witnesses,  suborn 
others — I  say  it  boldly — and  thus  procure  the  absence  of  any  testimony 


GLIMPSES  OF    NATIVE  LIFE 
IN   NEW   MEXICO. 


NOTES   ON   THE    LINE   ACROSS   NEW    MEXICO. 


109 


which  might  be  used  in  our  favor,  I  should  have  repelled  the  accuser  and 
his  accusation  with  scorn,  but  here  I  stand  without  a  witness  to-day,  and 
the  attorney  for  the  prosecution  knows  why.' 

"With  that  Colonel  Rynerson  sprang  to  his  feet  shouting :  '  It's  a  d — d 
lie,'  and  leaped  at  Colonel  Fountain. 

"  Both  men  were  old  frontiersmen  and  ex-officers  of  the  famous  California 
Legion,  who  had  each  gained  fame  for  personal  bravery  during  the  war,  and 
had  added  to  their  reputation  for  courage  in  the  turbulent  years  that  suc- 
ceeded the  close  of  the  conflict,  and  every  one  in  the  court-room  was  on 
tiptoe  to  see  the  two  men  come  together,  for  they  knew  that  blood  would 
flow.  The  sheriff  and  his  deputies  crowded  between  them  and  pandemo- 
nium reigned  for  a  time,  when  Colonel  Fountain  was  heard  addressing  the 
court.  Quiet  was  in  a  measure  restored,  and  the  Colonel  said  : 

"'Your  honor,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  violent  language  and  the 
threatening  attitude  of  the  attorney  for  the  prosecution  toward  me,  as  I  am 
not  conscious  of  having  said  anything  calculated  to  provoke  any  such 
demonstration.' 

"'In  the  name  of  Jupiter  Ammon,  if  such  charges  as  you  just  made  were 
not  sufficient  provocation,  what  would  you  think  would  be,  you  infernal 
hound?'  roared  Colonel  Rynerson. 

'"May  it  please  the  court,' replied  Colonel  Fountain,  'I  think  your  honor 
will  bear  me  out  in  . - , —  what  I  am  about  to  say;  that 


A  CATTLE   ROUND  UP. 


It  is  promptly 
resented  and 
bloodshed  is 
imminent. 


Feigns  a 
childlike 
innocence. 


The 

explanation 
and  the 
apology. 


is,  I  made  no  charges  against  Colonel  Rynerson.  So  far  from  it  was  I 
that  I  stated  that  if  any  one  had  brought  such  accusations  against  him  I 
should  have  indignantly  refused  to  listen,  and  I  further  started  to  say  that 
I  was  without  a  witness  for  the  defense  to-day,  and  the  prosecution  was 
aware  of  the  fact  that  it  was  simply  because  we  had  none  to  bring,  and  that 
we  would  rest  our  case  and  rely  upon  the  mercy  of  the  court,  when  Colonel 


110 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


But  the 
prisoner  had 
fled. 


A  set  of  curious 
coincidences. 


Spanish 
exploration 
and  early 
myths. 


Rynerson  sprang  up  and  interrupted  me  and  all  this  uproar  began.  I  am 
sure  if  anything  I  said  has  unintentionally  on  my  part  wounded  the  feelings 
of  Colonel  Rynerson,  he  will  accept  my  sincere  regrets  and  count  it  unsaid.' 
"Colonel  Rynerson  declared  himself  fully  satisfied  with  the  explanation 
made  by  Colonel  Fountain,  who  also  expressed  his  own  regret  at  having 
been  touched  so  easily,  hoping  his  words,  used  in  the  heat  of  passion,  would 
be  forgotten.  The  case  was  then  taken  up,  and  as  Colonel  Fountain  arose 
to  announce  formally  that  the  case  for  the  defense  would  rest,  the  Judge 


BRINGING    IN    WOOD   ON    BURROS. 


cried  :  'Where  is  the  prisoner?'  All  eyes  turned  to  the  dock,  but  it  was 
empty.  There  is  a  statutory  provision  in  New  Mexico  that  no  man  shall  be 
brought  to  trial  in  irons.  He  must  be  absolutely  free  in  the  court-room, 
subject  only  to  the  vigilance  of  the  officers. 

"  During  the  intense  excitement,  when  every  eye  was  straining  in  the 
direction  of  the  belligerent  attorneys,  the  prisoner  had  quietly  walked  out 
of  the  room,  and  by  a  strange  coincidence  found  a  fast  horse  awaiting  him, 
and  by  a  set  of  similar  coincidences,  he  found  such  a  horse  about  every  five 
miles  until  the  Mexican  border  and  safety  were  reached. 

"  Rynerson  always  said  that  was  one  of  the  shrewdest  legal  moves  he  ever 
knew  of  being  resorted  to." 

"  Didn't  you  tell  me  the  old  Spaniards  explored  this  region  in  a  very 
early  day,  papa?"  asked  the  Girl. 

"  Yes,  and  we  have  in  our  whole  national  area  no  section  more  fraught 
with  picturesque  adventure.  About  1530,  when  Nuno  de  Guzman  was  gov- 


ans,  * 
Jfa\ 


MOUNTAIN   CHAINS   AND   FERTILE   VALLEYS.  Ill 

ernor  of  New  Spain,  word  was  first  given  to  the  world  of  this  region.  It 
was  called  the  country  of  the  Seven  Cities,  and  was  reputed  to  be  fabulously 
rich.  Guzman  tried  to  explore  it  and  dismally  failed.  Then  eight  years 
later  Alvar  Nunes  Cabeza  de  Baca  and  three  companions,  survivors  of  the 
unfortunate  expedition  of  Navarez  for  the  conquest  of  Florida,  wandered 
overland  to  Culiacan,  bringing  tidings  of  the  region.  In  1540  came 
Coronado,  with  whose  name  all  the  region  is  associated,  and  from  whose  Theremainsof 
explorations  we  have  learned  so  much  of  its  early  life.  He  came  with  three 
hundred  adventurous  cavaliers  and  eight  hundred  friendly  Indians, 
and  spent  a  couple  of  years  campaigning  through  the  region,  sub- 
duing the  belligerent  natives,  establishing  posts  and  writing  in  his 
reports  a  very  fair  account  of  things  as  he  discovered 
them.  He  found,  in  the  great  pueblos  then  existing, 
an  industrious  race  who  raised  maize,  beans,  cotton 
and  pumpkins,  wove  their  own  clothing,  made  pottery, 
lived  under  a  well-regulated  social  order,  and  were 
disposed  towards  the  customs  of  civilization.  From 
then  on  the  story  of  the  country  was  linked  with  the 
narrative  of  Spanish  conquest  Greed  for  the  pos- 
session of  its  rich,  mines  overreached  itself,  and  the  A  CHILD  OF  DESTINY. 
natives  were  continually  revolting  and  driving  their  oppressors  out.  After 
the  region  fell  into  the  possession  of  the  United  States  under  the  Gadsden 
Purchase  a  new  era  dawned,  and  to-day  its  resources  are  being  developed 
by  a  far-sighted  and  energetic  race,  who  are  building  here  a  great  common- 
wealth." 

Bevond   Deming — an  advantageously  situated  point,  with  branch  lines   Deming,  1,283 

...      mi'es  from 

northeast  to  Nutt  and  northwest  to  Silver — is  the  same  succession  of  high   New  Orleans 

plains  with   scant  vegetation.     Water  is  easily  obtained,  but   not  always   feeT 

good,  a  strong  alkali  impregnation  sometimes  destroying  its  palatability. 

At  Deming,  however,  splendid  water  is  found  at  a  depth  of  forty  feet.     At 

Lordsburg  the  railroad  draws  its  supply  from  the  mountains,  piping  the 

useful  fluid  for  a  distance   of  more  than   four  miles.     Beyond  Lordsburg 

the  road  bisects   Playes,   Animas  and   San   Simon   Valleys,   and    between   sansimon 

*  Valley  and 

Stein's  Pass  and  Vanarman  crosses  the  line  into  Arizona.  The  rugged  ste<  i's  Pass 
grandeur  of  the  scenery  at  Stein's  Pass  is  refreshing.  The  bold  crags  rise 
on  the  right  in  pinnacles  of  red  rock,  seamed  and  disjointed  by  the  weather- 
wear of  centuries.  On  the  left  the  valley  opens  out  with  receding  lines  of 
purpling  hills  that  grow  fainter  and  fainter  upon  the  far  horizon.  Looking 
off  across  San  Simon  Valley  one  sees  in  the  far  southwest,  where  the  sky-line 
meets  the  earth,  the  outlines  of  a  great  face  turned  upward.  The  profile 
is  called  "Cochise's  Head,"  and  has  long  been  a  landmark.  Cochise  was  the 
greatest  of  that  long  line  of  Apache  chiefs  whose  fame  upon  the  border  lin- 


112 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Those  herds  ol 
cattle  graze 
here. 


Cacti— the 
fruit  and 
timber  of  the 
desert. 


gers  in  traditions  of  their  subtlety  and  cruelty.  With  a  Napoleonic  regard 
for  strategy,  and  with  an  absolute  knowledge  of  the  mountain  fastnesses  he 
inhabited,  he  combined  a  marvelous  control  of  the  people  he  ruled.  Over 
beyond  the  range,  whose  rocky  profile  outlines  his  face  against  the  sky,  is 
a  great  cavern  where  the  scattered  remnants  of  his  tribe  yet  resort  to 
invoke  with  weird  ceremony  the  spirit  of  their  great  leader,  and  amid  wild 
incantations  renew  the  allegiance  which  once,  in  their  days  of  power,  gave 
them  undisputed  possession  of  a  wide  region. 

"  Looks  dry,  don't  it  ? "  I  said,  as  the  train  bowled  along. 
"Looks   that  way,"  replied   the  Growler,  "but   it  isn't.     Here,  at  San 
Simon,  is  the  center  of  a  vast  cattle  interest.     The  San  Simon  Cattle  Com- 
pany alone  has  a  herd  of  75,000  head.     Back  in 
all  these  valleys  there  is  good  grazing,  the  nutri- 
tious gama  grass  growing  everywhere.     Off  there 
to  the  south,  in   the  Chiricahua  Mountains  — 


A    NEW   MEXICO   OLLA    MAKER. 


great  piles  of  syenite,  paleozoic  strata  and  porphyry  —  was  the  favorite 
rendezvous  of  the  latest  bad  Apache  Indian,  the  Arizona  Kid,  to  whose 
door  all  the  depredations  of  stray  scoundrels  has  been  laid." 

"  What  wonderful  cacti !"  exclaimed  the  Girl,  enthusiastically.  "How 
luxuriantly  it  grows,  and  how  many  varieties  there  are  of  it  !  " 

"  Gives  the  landscape  a  weird  and  grewsome  sort  of  appearance,  don't 
it?"  I  said. 

"A  very  useful  plant,  too,"  spoke  the  Colonel. 

"  Useful  ?  "  asked  the  Girl.     "  Why,  it's  only  an  ornament,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"Yes,  with  the  ladies  of  the  North  who  cultivate  a  little  bulb  for  years, 
and  are  excessively  proud  of  the  prickly  growth  if  it  assumes  the  propor- 
tions of  a  cocoanut.  But  here  it  is  quite  different.  You  see  that  big 
sahaura  ?' 


MOUNTAIN   CHAINS   AND   FERTILE   VALLEYS. 


113 


We  looked  quickly  out  of  the  window  to  where  a  great  cacti  reared  its 
stunted  head  forty  feet  in  the  air — a  sturdy,  branchless,  bulbous  growth. 

"That,"  continued  the  Colonel,  "is  only  one  of  some  sixty  or  seventy    TheCoionei 
varieties  of  the   family.     It  bears  in  its  season  a  large  white   flower,  that    of  th™  many  CW 
opens  like  a  chestnut,  and  has  inside  a  red,  flesh-like  pulp,  of  which  the 
Mexicans  and  Indians  are  very  fond.     It  has  a  sweetish,  insipid  flavor.    The 
stalks  of  the  sahaura  are  divided  through  their  length  by  strong  white  ribs, 
which  the  natives  use  as  beams  for  the  roofs  of  their  houses.     Of  the  other 
members  of  the  cacti  family  which  you  will  see,  is  the  cholla,  a  bush-shaped 
plant  covered  with  white  spines  ;  the  bisnaga,  low  and  round,  and  contain- 
ing no  woody  fiber.     The  spines  with  which  the  bisnaga  are  covered  are 
barbed  like  a  fish  hook,  and  woe  to  the  unwary  who  gets  them  into  his  flesh. 
The  Mexicans  cut  the  white  pulp  of  the  plant  into  small  pieces,  boil  them 
in  sugar  and  obtain  a  confection  of  which  they  are  very  fond.     The  datil    Fruit  and  flour 
grows  to  a  height  of  five  or  six   feet,  with  branches  that  diverge  at  right   * 
angles.     Its  fruit  resembles  a  cucumber,  and  contains  a  black  seed  which 


ON   THE  CACTI   PLAINS. 


the  Indians  grind  for  flour.  The  petella  is  the  greatest  of  the  fruit  pro- 
ducers —  you  will  frequently  see  it  with  twenty  stems  springing  from  a 
single  root.  The  —  " 

"Never  mind,  papa,"  the  Girl  broke  in;  "I'm  sure  I  couldn't  remember 
any  more.     What  place  is  this  ?  " 


Benson,  1,458 


"Benson,"  replied  the  Colonel,  a  little  stiffly.     "  It  is  the  junction  of  the    New  Orleans. 


New  Mexico  &  Arizona  and  the  Arizona  &  Southeastern  railroads.     The 


114 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Canon  ol  the 
Cieneta. 


Vails  and  its 
guano  filled 
cave. 


former  runs  down  to  Nogales,  where  it  connects  with  the  Sonora  R.  R.  for 
Guayamas,  and  the  latter  runs  out  to  the  celebrated 
Copper  Queen  mine."  From  here  Tombstone,  the 
most  famous,  or  shall  we  say  notorious,  town  in 
all  the  Southwest,  is  reached. 

"I    have    always   thought  this  a  pretty  bit  of 
scenery,"  the  Growler  said,  calling  our  attention 
to  the  Cieneta  River  Canon,  twenty-four  miles  east 
of  Tucson.     We  agreed  with  him,  for,  as  the  train 
whirled  along  the  brink  of  the  deep 
[j^^       narrow  gorge  we  could   look  down 
to  where  its  turbid  waters  boiled  far 
below. 

"Near the  little  station  of  Vails," 
the  Colonel  remarked,  "  is  a  curious 
dimensions  filled  with  guano.  It 
home  of  myriads  of  bats  since  time 
and  a  great  deposit  of  fertilizer  has 
The  cave  was  opened  some  three  or 
and  a  company  organized  to  make 


cave  of  great 
has  been  the 
immemorial, 
accu  m  ulated. 
four  years  ago 
shipments.  For 
prosecuted,  and 


NATIVES   OF   NEW   MEXICO. 


some   reason   the   venture   was   not 
after   about    seventy-five   car   loads 


had  been  forwarded  to   Los  Angeles  and  San  Francisco  operations  were 
suspended." 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


TUCSON    AND    THE    ANCIENT    MISSION    OF    SAN    XAVIER  —  ARIZONA     AND    ITS 

LOST    CIVILIZATIONS. 

"  A   H-!  we  should  stop  here,"  the  Growler  said,  as  the  train,  passing  the   Tucson,  1,506 
/"\     Territorial -University  and  Indian  School  on  the  right,  ran  into  the   Ne^orieLs. 
station  at  Tucson.     "It  is  the  quaintest  old  place  you  will  find  in  the  United   g^tion a-39» 
States.     The  fringe  of  trees  over  there  marks  the  windings  of  the  Santa 

Cruz    River.     The  mountains  to  the    north 

and  east  are 


CLIFF   DWELLINGS   IN   THE   ARIZONA   MOUNTAINS. 


the  Santa  Catalina's  and  Rincon's,  and  those  to  the  northwest  the  Tortola's. 
Thank  goodness,  the  train  schedule  gives  us  time  enough  to  get  a  glimpse 
of  the  queer  place,  even  if  we  cannot  spend  a  few  days  here,  which  would 
well  repay  us." 

It  would  not  be  far  wrong  to  put  down  the  population- of  Tucson  at  xA,efirst 
7,000.      There  is  a  large   infusion  of    progressive  Americans,   who  have " '  theppiace!n  ° 
carried  into  the  commercial  life  of  the  town  an  aggressive ;  spirit  of  en-t'e'r- 
prise,  extended  its   trade  into   Mexico,   planted  manufacturing  industries, 
and  given  it  the  comforts  of  modern  municipal  life.     But,  all  the;bizarrie 
characteristics  of  quaintness  adhere  to  it.     The  narrow  streets  are  lined 

115 


116 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Second  oldest 
city  in  the 
United  States. 


American 
invasion  and 
Apache 
attention. 


The  ancient 
Mission  of  San 
Xavier  de  Bac. 


with  buildings  whose  architecture  often  seems  mediaeval.  In  the  residence 
portion  the  stolid  fronts  of  adobes  give  the  passer-by  no  idea  of  the  ample 
and  luxuriously  furnished  apartments  within,  where  everything  that  culti- 
vated taste  can  suggest  adds  to  the  luxury  of  living. 

"  What  an  awfully  old  place  it  must  be  ?"  the  Girl  remarked 

"Well,  I  should  say  so,"  the  Colonel  replied  ;    "we  only  have  one  older 

in  the  whole  country — Santa  Fe.     Some  historians  claim  a  settlement  here 

as  early  as  1560.  .  It  was  a  Spanish  and  Mexican  presidio,  or  fortified  town. 

In  the  center  was  the  universal  plaza,  surrounded  by  a  high  wall,  against 


which  all    the 

wall   was    some 

resist     attack 

their    assailants 

Later,    a    fort 

from 

1847 

found 

days 


houses  were  built,  so  as  to  face  the   square.      The 
four  feet  higher  than  the  roofs,  so  the  natives  could 
from   their  safe  vantage  point,  shooting  down  upon 
while  themselves  in  a  measure  protected, 
built     outside     the    walls,    and    separate 
the  presidio,  gave  further  protection.      In 
the  Americans  took   the   town,   but 
the  fort  too  strong  for  them.    In  the 
of    the  California  gold  excitement 
the  place  became  a  sort  of  half-way 
house  for  immigrants  from  the 
South.     After  the  war    Amer- 
icans   began    to    drift     in    in 
increasing  numbers,  and  it  had 
all  the   elements  of  a  frontier 
camp.    Soldiers,  teamsters  and 
miners  soaked  themselves  with 
the  fiery  poison  of  the  mescal 
shops,  and  were  ready  for  any 
deviltry.     The  Apaches  made 
life  miserable   for   those    who 
ventured  outside  of  the  walls,  or, 
rather,    did    not    give    them     a 
chance  to  be  miserable  for  very  long 
when  once  they  got  hold  of  them.'' 
"And  don't  forget  the  old  Mis- 
sion," the   Growler   remarked,    sen- 
tentiously. 

"What!  more  old  Missions?"  said  the  Girl. 

"  Nine  miles  south  of  here  is  what  I  consider  the  most  interesting  mis- 
sion in  the  country,"  replied  the  Colonel;  "the  Mission  of  San  Xavier. 
The  best  authority  goes  to  show  that  the  original  building  was  constructed 
in  1690.  The  present  structure,  which  occupies  the  same  site  and  is  prob- 


THE  GIANT   SAHAURA. 


THE   ANCIENT   MISSION   OF   SAN   XAVIER. 


117 


ably  an  enlargement  of  the  former,  was  begun  in  1768  and  finished  many 
years  later.  The  Jesuit  map  of  1698,  which  is  recognized  as  wonderfully 
accurate,  marks  a  mission  here." 

"  Did  you  ever  visit  it  ?"  I  asked.  - 

"  Yes,  I  drove  over  one  delightful  day  in  early  spring,  through  the  fertile   Fertility  of  the 
and   cultivated    fields  that  line  the  Santa  Cruz  River — so   valley 

fertile  that 
potatoes 
blossom 
in  seven- 
teen days, 
radishes 


FT.    BO\VIE. 


RINCON    MOUNTAINS,    NEAR   TUCSON. 

table  in  less  than  three  weeks  from  the 
seed,  and  corn  tassels  in  a  month. 
Why,  these  valleys  are  merely  vast 
canons  that  have  been  filled  with  the  debris  carried  down  in  past  ages.  In 
the  Santa  Rosa  Valley  borings  520  feet  deep  go  down  all  the  way  through 
rich  soil  mixed  with  bowlders." 

"Come  back  to  the  Mission,  papa,"   said  the  Girl,  who  saw  that  the 
Colonel  was  wandering  from  the  subject. 

"Oh,  yes.     Well,  as  I  was  saying,  I  drove  down  through  these  fields,  and   Mexicans  and 
across  the  higher  plains,  beyond  where  the  road  winds  through  low  hills   mee?on?he 
covered  with  forests  of  giant  sahaura.     Here  you  pass  sombreroed  Mexi- 
cans with  trains  of  loaded  burros,  or  driving  flocks  of  sheep,  and  Indian 
women  carrying  on  their  backs  great  loads  of  pottery  of  their  own  manu- 
facture.    By  and  by  the  reservation  of  the  Papago  Indians  is  reached,  their 
village  of  squat  reed  wigwams  scattered  over  the  plain  near  by  the  church. 
The  great  edifice  itself  seems  solemn  and  imposing  in  that  wide  landscape, 
where  the  Sierreta,  Rincon  and  St.  Catalina  mountains  hem  it  about.     On   The  Mission  as 
a  low,  rocky,  cone-shaped  hill,  just  back  of  the  church,  a  high  wooden  cross 
stands,  outlined  against  the  sky.    The  church,  built  of  brick,  is  of  Saracenic 


ARIZONA   AND    ITS   LOST   CIVILIZATIONS. 


119 


architecture.  The  front  is  covered  with  rich  ornamentation  in  fanciful 
patterns,  and  a  lofty  bell-tower  rises  at  each  corner,  one  capped  by  a  dome. 
Over  the  rear  chapel  is  a  large  dome  also.  Off  to  the  side  stretches  the 
cloisters,  and  here  two  sweet-faced,  gentle  Sisters  of  Charity,  leaving  the 
cities  of  the  east,  which  were  their  homes,  have  immured  themselves  to  teach 
two-score  brown-faced  Indian  children.  The  interior  of  the  church  is  in 
the  form  of  a  Latin  cross,  the  foot  being  to  the  south,  in  which  direction 
the  edifice  faces.  The  main  altar  is  at  the  north  end.  The  walls  are 
covered  with  frescoes,  once  garish  perhaps,  but  now  subdued  by  time,  until 
their  tints  blend  into  a  harmonious  color  scheme.  Four  large  paintings 
represent  the  Annunciation,  the  Visitation  of  the  Virgin  to  Elizabeth,  the 
Nativity  of  Christ  and  the  Adoration  of  the  Magi.  The  altar  work  and  all 
the  cornices  are  done  in  cement,  as  are  also  the  six 

arched    ceilings  overhead,   the   main 
which    is  fifty  feet  above  the  floor. 
In  fact,  the  whole  mission,  in  all  its 
details  of   decoration    and  architec- 
ture,   is    complete,    and   the   edifice 
would    be   an    ornament    in    any 
capital." 

"I    have    heard    the    Papagos    ' 
have  always  been  the  friends  of 
the  whites,"  I  said. 

"So  they  have,"   replied  the 
Growler,    "  and    they    ought    to 
have    some  credit  for  it ;    there 
are    about   600    of   them    living 
on    the    reservation    the    Colonel 
just   mentioned.     They  cultivate 
a    little    land,    and    when     the 
Apaches   were    killing  the    white 
settlers    hereabouts,    they   were 
most   of   the  fighting,    and   chasing 

Warlike    tribe  On   all    occasions.       But   RISING  GENERATION  OF  THE  SOUTHWEST,  all  this 

country  was  settled  by  an  earlier  race  than  any  of  the  present  Indians." 

"  How  do  you  know  ? " 

"The  cliffs  all  through  these  Arizona  mountains  are  covered  with  hiero- 
glyphics and  pictographs.  The  Salt  and  Gila  River  valleys  are  full  of  old 
ruins  of  early  occupancy.  There  are  artificial  mounds  hundreds  of  feet 
long,  extensive  canals  for  irrigating  purposes,  and  vast  debris — all  a  class 
of  work  the  present  races  are  unfamiliar  with.  The  most  wonderful — or  at 
least  the  best  known  of  all  these  ruins — lies  three  hours  by  stage  north  of 


Teaching  the 
papooses  of  th« 
Papagos. 


The  art  of 
altar  walls. 


The  friends  of 
the  whites  for 
300  years. 


Civilizations 
that  have 
come  and 
gone. 


120 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  ruins  of 
the  Casa 
Grande. 


The  ancient 
irrigating 
system  of  vast 
extent. 


The  remote 
age  in  which 
they  lived. 


the  station  of  Casa  Grande  (65  miles  west  of  Tucson).  Father  Niza,  who, 
in  1539,  visited  the  country,  heard  of  these  ruins,  which  were  then  regarded 
with  awe  and  veneration  by  the  native  tribes.  Coronado's  people  visited 
them  in  1540,  and  since  then  many  explorers  have  come  and  gone,  and  left 
descriptions  to  tell  us  what  they  were  and  are.  As  they  exist  to-day  they 
still  show  ^^the  towering  adobe  walls  that  once  are  believed  to 
have  ^«M^fl  HS^..  been  seven  stories  in  height. 


Some  of  the  rooms 
were  thirty  and  forty  feet  long. 
Archaeologists  and  ethnologists  have  puzzled  over  these  ruins  for  ages. 
To-day,  with  their  remains  of  great  irrigating  ditches  all  about  them,  they 
present  a  hard  nut  for  scientists  to  crack.  However,  we  must  stand  amazed 
at  the  extent  of  these  ruins.  One  of  these  great  canals  tapped  the  Salt 
River  on  the  south  side  near  the  mouth  of  the  Verde.  For  three  and  a 
half  miles  it  passes  through  an  artificial  gorge  in  the  Superstition  Moun- 
tains, cut  out  of  the  solid  rock  to  a  depth  of  a  hundred  feet.  After  passing 
the  mountains  it  divides  into  four  branches  whose  aggregate  length  is  120 
miles,  independent  of  the  distributing  ditches.  This  system  of  canals  irri- 
gated i, 600  square  miles  of  country.  The  engineering  is  perfect." 

"And  isn't  there  a  trace  of  these  people  that  would  give  us  a  clue  to 
them  ?" 

"Not  even  a  tradition,"  was  the  reply.  "We  only  know  that  at  a  period 
fixed  by  scientists  as  2,000  years  ago,  the  Bradshaw  Mountains  were  active 
volcanoes,  and  the  lava  making  its  way  through  Black  Canon  flowed  into 
these  canals.  Still  later,  a  great  deluge  flowed  over  McDowell  Mountains, 
segregating  their  granite  sides  and  depositing  their  wash  over  the  upper 
valley  and  the  canals  to  a  depth  of  from  three  to  five  feet.  This  gives  us 
testimony  as  to  the  age  of  these  vast  works,  but  it  tells  us  nothing  of  the 


ARIZONA   AND   ITS   LOST   CIVILIZATIONS.  121 

millions  of  people  who  must  have  once  lived  here  in  a  high  state  of  civil- 
ization." 

"What  in  the  world  do  people  go  to  Europe  to  find  ancient  civilizations 
for,  when  they  can  get  them  right  here  at  home?  "  exclaimed  the  Girl. 

"  Because  it  is  a  fad,"  said  the  Growler.     "  It's  all  right  to  go  to  Europe,   why  not  know 
of  course,  but  it  makes  me   have   'that  tired   feeling'  when  I  see  people  country  first? 
rushing  over  there  who  have  no  adequate  knowledge  of  their  own  country. 
There  isn't  any  thing  in  history  more  fascinating  than  the  story  of  the  con- 
quest of  this  very  region  we  are  traveling  through.     There  is  a  dramatic 
recital  of  Spanish  occupancy  reaching  back  280  years  beyond  the  Guada- 
lupe-Hidalgo  treaty  of  '46.     The  gold  and  silver  hungry  Madrid  govern-   The  romance 
ment  was  pretty  nearly  pushed   out  by  the   Indian   outbreak  of  1802,  the  Spanish 
Mexican  revolution  twenty  years  later,  and  the  Apache  uprising  of  1827.  ° 
The  country  became  a  wilderness  almost,  until  from  1845  to  1860  hardy 
settlers  forced  their  way  into  the  rich  valleys,  established  homes  and  began 
developing  again  the   resources    of    the 

country.  Then  our  war 

came 


on,  protec- 

CASA  GRANDE  RUINS  IN  ARIZONA.  tion    was   withdrawn,  the 

Apaches  swooped  down,  and  it  took  ten  years  to  undo  their  work  and  begin 
again  the  building  of  a  commonwealth.     Now  here's  an  empire  as  large  as 
the   six    New   England    states   with    New   York   thrown    in.     Its   climate,   Arizona  a«  it  la 
scenery  and  fauna  are   so  varied  that  they  appeal  to  every  interest.     All 
the  semi-tropical  plants  grow  in  the  southern  valleys,  while  the  peaks  of  its 
northern  mountains  are  clad  in  perpetual  snow.    Here  is  the  awe-inspiring 
Canon    of   the   Colorado,    the   greatest   and   most   mavelous   cleft   in    the 
mountains  of  the  world.     You  can  see  a    petrified    forest  here,    with    the   Thetreasure. 
trees  congealed  into  stone,  rearing  their  rugged  trunks  fifty  and   seventy  wonderland. 


122 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Connection  for 
Phocnii. 


feet  in  the  air.    What 
else  does    man  want 
than  that    which    he 
can  find  in  Arizona  ? 
It  is  rich  in  mines,  in 
timber,  grazing  land, 
soil  for  fruit  culture, 
the  best   climate    to 
be  found  any- 
where.    T  h  e 
wealth   of  the 
territory    is 
more  than 


a  hundred  mil- 
lions  of    dol- 
lars, and  is  in- 
creasing with  won- 
derful rapidity  as  people 
are  coming  to  know  its  lim- 
itless resources." 

At  Maricopa  theSouthern 
Pacific  makes  connection 
with  the  Maricopa  &  Phoenix 
Railroad,  reaching  that  city 
after  a  run  of  thirty-five 


ARIZONA  CACTI. 


ARIZONA   AND    ITS   LOST   CIVILIZATIONS. 


123 


miles  through  a  region  which,  beyond  Tempe,  wears  all  the  aspect  of  an  old 
and  thrifty  agricultural  region. 

"I  don't  know  whether  Phoenix  is  fortunately  situated,  or  whether  the 
Salt  River  Valley  has  been  made  by  it,"  said  the  Colonel,  "but  I  do  know  ^ 
that  it  is  in  the  center  of  some  of  the  greatest  irrigation  schemes  that  have 
been  undertaken  . -^T\  /"^--^^         in  our  age.    It  used 

to  be  that  ^-<j^B   A  /          Sl&fck^        the  consump- 


tive   had  -  '~*--j£&    '    -B'     .      ||irjp^---fr  Phoenix  all 

to    himself.       He[  ;  went  there  and  the 

climate  gave    him   |  _  life  and  health, 

but  of  late  years  THE  GILA  RIVER  AND  THE  HERBAGE          the     agriculturist 

OF  THE   PLAINS. 

and      fruit-raiser  and  the  bee-keeper 

have  crowded  him  pretty  closely,  so  that  now  you  find  the  thrifty  modern 
city  set  down  among  groves  of  orange  and  lemon  and  plum  and  apricot 
and  peach  trees  that  make  a  paradise  out  of  all  that  beautiful  valley,  so 
that  men  find  there  not  only  health  but  wealth." 

"There's  the  first  station  name  that  recalls  the  Aztecs,"  I  said,  when  we 
reached  Montezuma. 

"We  have  Montezuma  himself  right  north  of  us,  in  the  Estrella  Moun-   Mountain 
tains,"  said    the  Colonel.     "  There  is  a  mountain   top  clearly  cut  in  the  Montezuma. 
image  of  a  man,  and  the  Indians  say  it  is  Montezuma  asleep,  and  that  some 
day  he  will  awaken  to  gather  his  people  together  in  the  empire  of  which 
the  hidalgos  robbed  him." 

"Why  is  this  place  called  'Painted  Rocks'  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Just  because  some  very  celebrated  painted  rocks  are  scattered  along  painted  rocks 
the  Gila  River  near  here,"  replied  the  Growler.     "The  characters  on  the   River, 
rocks  are  not  really  painted,  but  engraved  with  some  coarse  instrument,  by 
which  the  soft  and  rather  thin  coating  of  oxide  of  manganese  was  scraped 
off.     The  stones  themselves  are  hard  bowlders,  of  entirely  different  char- 
acter from  the  partially  decomposed  granite  of  which  the  small  peak  upon 
which  they  rest  is  constituted.     Nor,  indeed,  are  the  adjacent  mountain 


124 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  Gila 
monster, 
pronounced 
"Hela." 


ranges  composed  of  any  similar  material.  I  presume  they  were  carried 
there  by  the  energetic  action  of  water  at  a  remote  period.  The  inscriptions 
probably  commemorated  some  battle  or  other  important  event  pertaining  to 
intertribal  relations. 
The  strangest  thing 
about  the  rocks  is  that 
a  magnetic  compass 
placed  on  top  of 
of  them  ver- 
tically over 
its  center  of 
gravity  is  un- 


PRISON   YARD   AI 


LORADO   RIVER    SCENE   AT   YUMA,    ARIZONA. 


disturbed  in  its  polarity,  but  this  fact  is  nearly  reversed  when  the  compass 
is  placed  near  the  ends.  It  was  while  examining  them  that  I  first  saw  a 
Gila  monster." 

"  What  in  the  world  is  a  Gila  monster  ? "  asked  the  Girl. 

"An  overgrown  variegated  lizard,  to  which  all  sorts  of  deadly  attributes 
used  to  be  ascribed,  but  which  has  been  unjustly  accused,"  was  the  reply. 
"It  is  certainly  a  most  hideous  creature,  sometimes  almost  three  feet  long, 
sluggish,  puffy,  and  with  a  frightful  mouth." 

"  Perhaps  it  was  from  Arizona  Montezuma  drew  some  of  his  treasure," 
I  said. 

"  Well,  we  know  that  a  good  many  million  dollars  have  been  taken  out 
since  his  time  anyhow.  It  would  set  your  mind  ablaze  to  listen  to  the  stories 


ARIZONA   AND    ITS   LOST   CIVILIZATIONS. 


125 


of  lost  mines  of  fabulous  richness,  which  every  prospector  expects  to  find  Fables  of  lent 
some  day.  One  of  the  most  famous  of  Arizona's  'lost  mines'  was  the 
Planchas  de  Plata,  or  planks  of  silver.  A  Yaqui  Indian  first  made  the  mine 
known,  and  the  Spanish  records  show  that  some  five  tons  of  silver  were  actu- 
ally taken  out  near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  the  silver  being  found  in  large 
sheets  of  pure  metal,  reputed  to  weigh,  in  some  instances,  more  than  a  ton. 
The  Madrid  government  seized  this  fine  lot  of  virgin  ore,  appropriated  it 
as  the  property  of  the  crown,  and  declared  the  mine  confiscated  to  the  same 
end,  and  this  summary  proceeding  naturally  discouraged  operations  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  mine  was  abandoned  and  subsequently  forgotten." 

Following  close  and  closer  the  Valley  of  the  Gila,  our  way  to  Yuma  winds  Along  the 
down  from  an  altitude  of  2,390  feet  at  Tucson  to  140  at  the  bank  of  the 
Colorado  Riv- 
er, a  distance 
of    250   miles. 
Always  moun- 
tains are  with- 
in   sight    or 
near  by  — 
now  the  Su- 
perstition, 
theEstrella. 


e 


the  Eagle 
Tail  orthe 
Lunas  Ne- 
gras.  Through 
patchesofdes- 
ert,andbyAn- 
telope  Peak, 
the  Southern 
leads  untilthe  white 
Yuma  is  reached  on  the 
mysterious  Colorado,  which 
through  its  great  mountain 
gorge  to  mingle  its  waters  with  those  of  the  California  Gulf.  Beyond  the 
big  airy  station,  with  its  green  expanse  of  garden,  you  will  see  the  fort-like 
waiis  of  the  territorial  penitentiary  crowning  a  low  eminence.  Your  train  TheCoiprada, 
stops  right  at  the  river  bank,  and  the  other  end  of  the  long  steel  bridge  beyond. 


Pacific 
town      of 
banks  of  that 
has  cut  its  way 


SOUTHERN    PACIFIC    DEPOT    AND  TERRI- 
TORIAL  PRISON   AT   YUMA,  ARIZONA. 


ARIZONA   AND   ITS    LOST   CIVILIZATIONS. 


127 


rests  on  the  soil  of  California.     Steamboats  that  ply  up  and  down  the  turbid, 

swift-flowing  stream  are  anchored  to  the  bank,  and  at  the  station  you  will 

always  find  a  picturesque  group  of  the  Yuma  Indians,  whose  reservation  is 

just  across  the  river.     Their  copper-colored  faces  glow  with  stripes  of  ver-    Yuma  Indians 

milion  and  green  paint  laid  on  in  fanciful  patterns,  and  they  wear  gay  fab-    t 


rics  that  heighten 
blacknessof  their 
There  will  be  a 
selling  willow 
His  face  is  as 
and  as  immobile 
nance  of  the 
dream,  and  you 
quarter 
wares  iu?t 


the  lustrous 
eyes  and  hair, 
tall  oldmanthere 
bows  and  arrows, 
nobly  chisel  ed 
as  the  counte- 
Indian  of  your 
will  pay  him  a 
for  his 


chance  to    talk  J\fc^  Wzffl   with  him-    He  is 

acounterpartof  j  Pasqual,   the 

greatest  Indian  j  chieftain  of  any 

age,    and    who  i  j    made  the  Yumas 

feared   through  L  *r,'-     J    all  the  land.    At 

Y  ARIZONA    IRRIGATING    DITCHKS. 

uma        the  atmosphere      in- 

spires you,  it  is  so  dry  and  so  surcharged  with  ozone.  The  sky  is 
a  clear  blue — the  atmosphere  as  translucent  as  a  jewel.  The  moun- 
tain tops — Castle  Domes,  the  Chimney  Peak,  the  Purple  Hills,  Cargo 
Muchacho — tower  all  around.  Your  mind  is  diverted  alike  by  the  story  of 
the  wild  past  of  the  place — its  romance  of  Indian  and  frontier  times — and 
by  its  busy  present.  As  early  as  1771  a  detachment  of  Franciscan  friars 
settled  opposite  the  present  site  of  the  town  and  sought  to  Christianize  the 
aborigines.  However,  the  Indians  made  it  so  decidedly  hot  for  them  that 
they  were  glad  to  get  away  —  that  is,  the  few  left  alive  after  the  natives  got 
through.  Then  came  the  gold  fever  and  a  ferry  was  established.  The 
government  built  a  fort,  the  town  spread,  and  afterward  the  railway  came. 


A  glimpse 
of  the 
surroundings. 


128 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


In  its  early 
days. 


What  a  little 
water  will  do.  i 


Here  the  temperature  has  reached  118°  in  the  shade,  but  no  one  has  ever 
been  known  to  be  sunstruck.  The  Southern  Pacific  has  large  interests  in 
the  place,  which  is  an  important  division  headquarters,  maintaining  ex- 
tensive yards  and  depot  of  supplies,  ice  house,  water  works  that  furnishes 


employes, 
and    it 


the  town  as  well  as  the  trains,  a  reading-room  for 
etc.  A  large  irrigating  scheme  is  being  worked  out, 
should  be  profitable,  for  here  the  orange,  lime  and 
lemon,  cotton,  the  fig  and  pomegranate,  grape, 
olive,  date,  plum,  apricot  and  sugar-cane  grow 
profitably.  Wheat,  barley  and  corn  are  the 
staple  field  products,  and  vegetables  thrive 
all  the  year  round  with  an  abundance  un- 
known elsewhere.  It  is  in  the  center  of  a 
rich  gold,  silver  and  lead  region,  where  the 
mines  have  been  long  and  remuneratively 
worked,  for  here  the  granite  ribs  of  the 
mountains,  like  the  alluvial  carried  down  by 
the  Gila  and  Colorado,  is  affluent  in  the  ele- 
ments of  wealth.  But  the  traveler  looks  impatiently  beyond,  for  there 
California,  with  all  the  interests  that  lay  hold  of  us,  awaits  the  guest  who 
comes  to  share  in  the  prodigal  pleasures  that  it  pours  out. 


YUMA   BILL,   A  CHARACTER 
OF   YUMA. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

FIRST  GLIMPSES   OF  CALIFORNIA  NOT    PREPOSSESSING,  BUT    FULL    OF  WONDERS 

-THE    MUD    VOLCANOES    AND    THE    DEAD    SEA    OF    SALTON  — 

A    TRINITY    OF    BEAUTIFUL    TOWNS. 


I 


S    this    California  ? "    said    the    Girl,    with    a    strong    accent   on   the 
"this." 


We  had  left  Yuma  behind   us,  and  were  traversing  a  region  of  absolute   First  glimpse 

,  .      ,        .  . ,  .of  California. 

desert.     A  thin  herbage  scantily  covered  the  waste  of  sand.     The  mountain 
chain  upon  the  right  looked  bare  and  bald. 

"No,"  replied  the  Colonel,  "this  is  only  a  little  bit  of  California.  We 
are  crossing  the  Colorado  Desert,  and  beyond  here  an  hour  or  two's  ride 
will  bring  us  into  the  paradise  you  have  thought  so  much  about.  But  you 
will  see  wonders  on  this  bit  of  desert  you  never  dreamed  of,  perhaps. 
Beginning  at  Flowing. Well  and  continuing  sixty-one  miles,  the  railroad 
passes  over  what  was  once  the  bed  of  an  ancient  sea.  It  has  left  the  water  Below  sea  level 

,  ...  .      in  the  bed  of  an 

mark  upon  the  hills  to  show  where  for  ages  its  surf-line  beat  upon  their  ancient  ocean. 
granite  walls.  From  Flowing  Well,  which  is  five  feet  above  sea-level,  to 
Volcano  Springs,  a  distance  of  ten  miles,  we  drop  to  225  feet  below  the  tide- 
line.  At  Salton  we  reach  the  lowest  point — 263  feet  —  and  from  then  on 
we  climb  upwards  until  at  a  point  some  two  miles  beyond  Indio  the  level  is 
again  reached.  It  is  supposed  that  once  the  Gulf  of  California  extended 
up  and  flowed  all  over  this  region,  and  there  is  an  ancient  tradition  that 
once  this  section  was  fertile  and  populous,  the  seat  of  a  great  city,  the  cap- 
ital of  a  race  that  has  disappeared." 

"What  sort  of  a  place  is  Volcano  Springs?"  I  asked. 

"  Quite  remarkable  in  its  way,"  replied  the  Colonel.  "  There  is  a  per- 
petual mirage  in  view,  which  spreads  a  beautiful  lake  off  to  the  south. 
From  the  windows  of  the  car  you  can  see  many  mud  volcanoes  or  springs,  The  mud 
which  bubble  up  to  a  height  of  from  five  to  twenty  feet.  They  are  cone- 
shaped,  and  very  curious,  tho'  dangerous  to  approach,  owing  to  the  thin- 
ness  of  the  earth  crust  about  them.  Venturesome  explorers  have  been 
badly  burned  by  breaking  through  this  crust  in  the  attempt  to  examine 
them  too  closely.  Sulphur,  soda  and  salt  impregnate  the  mud  discharged, 
and  some  of  the  springs  emit  a  strong  odor  of  sulphur  gas  and  send  up 
d'scolored  bubbles,  which,  as  they  burst,  discharge  little  puffs  of  bluish 


130 


THROUGH    STORVLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


a  sanitarium, 
this 


smoke.     There  are  also  circular  pools  filled  with  water,  and,  like  the  mud 
springs,  some  of  these  are  cold  and  others  hot." 
"  Does  the  volume  of  the  flow  vary?"  I  asked. 

"It   is  greater  in   summer  than  in  winter  I  have  been  told,"   was  the 
response. 
Great  place  for         "A  good  place  for  a  sanitarium  I  should  think,"  remarked  the  Girl. 

"All  this  old  sea-bed  would  be  a  good  place  for  a  sanitarium,"  replied 
the  Growler.          ^  ^—  —     --  ^^_^  "  Indio  already  has    a  wonderful 

reputation       *s^  ^^^     as  a  favorable  resort  for  consump- 

tives.       S  ^^^      I  have  known  men  who  came 

out  to  points  along  here 
in  what  certainly  appear- 
ed to  be  the  last 
stages  of  phthisis, 
and  who  recovered. 
The  desert  is  a  rain- 
less and  cloudless 
region,  with  but  six- 
teen or  seventeen  per 
cent  of  humidity  in 
the  atmosphere,  and 
that  atmosphere 
charged  with  chlo- 
rine gas  arising  from 
its  immense  fields  of 
salt.  These  elements 
have  restored  many 
to  health  who  had 
long  despaired  of  re- 
covery." 

We  watched  with 
wonder  the  mud  vol- 
canoes at  the  place  of 
that  name,  ,  and  the 
Colonel  and  the 
Growler  entertained 
with  stories  of 


us 


Death's  Valley  far  to 


AN   ARIZONA   MOUNTAIN    RAVINE. 


til  6 


Of 


Death's  valley    where  the  great  borax  mines  are  situated,  where  emigrants  have  oftentimes 

till  seek  for  the  mythical  Peg-Legged 


' 


perished,    and  where   prospectors 
Smith  or  Gunsight  mines. 


FIRST   GLIMPSES   OF   CALIFORNIA. 


131 


"There  are  prospectors  wlxo  constantly  roam  all  through  this  section,"   Nomads  of  the 


said  the  Growler.  "I've  sat  by  the  hour  and  listened  to  their  yarns,  and 
there  is  nothing  they  like  better  than  to  get  hold  of  a  tenderfoot  and  prevail 
on  him  to  grub-stake  them  for  a  sixty  or  ninety-day  prospecting  tour.  This 
is  a  veritable  picnic  for  these  nomads  of  the  desert.  A  hundred  dollars  will 
buy  a  couple  of  bronchos  and  a  stock  of  flour,  coffee,  sugar,  pork  and  beans. 


desert. 


A    GLIMPSE   OF    RIVERSIDE 


Then  they  go  off  into  the  mountains,  find  a  quiet  spring,  and  grow  fat  while 
they  loaf  about.  When  the  provisions  are  gone  they  return  with  some 
pieces  of  ore  picked  up  at  a  mine,  tell  a  few  fairy  stories  about  a  rich  ledge 
or  a  big  vein,  and  'strike'  the  tenderfoot  for  another  stake  to  develop  it. 
These  men  know  the  desert  as  no  one  else  possibly  can,  because  they  spend 
their  lives  upon  it,  and  while  others  would  perish  they  are  acquainted  with 
every  water-hole,  and  can  get  along  with  as  little. of  that  fluid  as  a  camel." 

"Beg  pardon,"  said  the  Colonel ;  "but  here  is  Salton,  and  we  must  get 
out  and  take  a  look  at  the  salt  sea." 

To  the  south  of  the  railway  track,  a  couple  of  miles  away,  lies  the 
remarkable  salt  lake  —  a  sheet  of  snowlike  whiteness  that  glistens  in  the 
sun.  It  is  thirty  miles  long  and  ten  miles  wide.  So  clear  is  the  air  that 
you  look  across  it  and  would  swear  the  further  shore  was  not  more  than 
two  miles  away.  It  is  a  vast  marsh,  fed  by  thousands  of  springs  that  rise, 
perhaps,  in  the  far-off  mountains,  and  whose  waters  are  rapidly  evaporated 
as  they  reach  the  surface,  leaving  over  the  whole  lake  or  marsh  a  white 
expanse  of  pure  salt  that  sparkles  like  a  vast  rippled  field  of  ice.  The 
marsh  is  seventeen  feet  lower  than  the  rest  of  the  valley,  and  is  thus  a 


"Working" 
the  gullible 
tenderfoot. 


Salton,  the 
lowest  spot  on 
the  continent, 
1,851  miles 
from  New 
Orleans. 


The  great  sea 

of  salt. 


132 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


How  the  saline 
fields  are 
worked 


When  the 
Colorado 
flooded  all  the 
region 


Got  a  new  pair 
of  lungs  and 
will  help 
others. 


natural  sink  or  basin.  The  salt  is  packed  and  shipped  upon  a  large  scale, 
extensive  works  having  been  erected.  A  portable  railway  runs  out  three 
miles  from  the  shore-line,  and  here  a  steam  plow  gathers  the  white  harvest, 
which  is  carried  to  the  mill  on  cars,  ground  and  put  in  packages  for  mar- 
keting. The  company,  whose  interests  are  looked  after  on  the  ground  by 
Vice-President  and  General  Manager  J.  W.  Durbrow,  has  a  capacity  for 
taking  off  eight  hundred  tons  per  day  and  for  stor- 
ing twelve  thousand  tons.  As  Nature  replaces  the 
salt  as  rapidly  as  it  is  gathered,  the  supply  is  inex- 
haustible. The  work  is  done  by  Cahuilla  Indians, 
who  live  in  a  little  village  near  the  station.  They 
endure  the  blinding  glare  and  excessive  heat  of 
the  salt  sea  as  no  other  laborers  could,  and  are 
faithful  and  industrious.  It  was  upon  Salton 
that  the  eyes  of  the  world  were  turned  in 
June,  1891,  when  the  Colorado,  breaking  its 
banks  below  Yuma,  backed  up  through  the  low 
valleys  until  it  flooded  all  this  region.  There 
was  vast  agitation  among  the  wise  men  then,  for 
they  professed  a  belief  that  the  alleged  sea  might 
be  permanent,  and  the  climate  of  the  whole 
region  undergo  a  consequent  change.  But  the 
dry  desert  air  took  the  water  in  hand,  and  it 
absorbed  the  prospective  sea  in  a  very  few 
months,  so  that  the  coyote  soon  came  back 
and  the  horned  toad  took  possession  of 
his  lair  again. 

"  I  knew  Durbrow  when  he  came  here 
first,  eight  or  nine  years  ago,  an  almost  help- 
less consumptive,"  said  the  Colonel.  "Now 
he  is  as  well  and  strong  as  anybody.  That 
is  what  the  climate  has  done  for  him.  If  he 
can,  by  sinking  an  artesian  well,  find  good 
water,  he  proposes  to  put  up  a  hotel  at  this 
point,  specially  adapted  for  persons  suffering  from  pulmonary  complaints. 
He  has  prepared  a  plan  for  a  house  with  hollow  tile  walls,  through  which 
cold  air  can  be  pumped,  and  supplied  to  the  rooms,  so  as  to  maintain  an 
equable  temperature  at  night.  In  the  daytime  he  says  his  patients  must 
be  kept  out  in  the  air.  At  present  the  water  is  all  brought  in  here  ;  that 
which  flows  from  the  springs  being  too  saline  for  use.  The  railway  company 
hauls  water  cars,  to  supply  its  engines,  across  the  arid  stretch." 

"To  see  the  splendor  of  this  region  you  should  be  here  on  a  moonlight 


TUNNEL   ON    AN    IRRIGATING    DITCH 
AT    RIVERSIDE 


FIRST   GLIMPSES   OF   CALIFORNIA. 


133 


night,"  said 
peaks  of 
dred 


the  Growler,  "and  see  the  snow-mantled 

Jacinto,  eleven  thousand  five  hun-  Dawn  and 

10  , .  sunset  on  the 

teet,  and    San    Bernardino,    ten  Colorado 


thousand   feet,   glorified  by  the 
white  light,  while  their  vast  black 
shadows    reach    far 
out  over  the  illumi- 
nated   width  of  the 

'  \ 

' 


Desert. 


plain 


or  be  here  to 
rise  with 
the  sun  and 

'  watch    the 


pinnacles 
of        the 
great    ba- 
salt ridges  glow    M 
redder  and  red-  JP| 
derwith  the  fire 
of    the    coming 
day,  while  all  the 
colors  of  the  spec- 
trum mingle  in  the 
cloudless  sky." 

A  few  miles 
farther  on  we 
reached  Indio — a 
verdure-clad  gem 
set  down  as  a  vi- 
dette  upon  the  out- 
sk  i  r  ts  of  fertile 
California.  Here 
an  abundance  of 
good  water  ap- 
plied to  the  soil  has 
created  an  oasis  so 
productive  that  a 
grape  vine  made  a 
growth  of  thirty- 
six  feet  in  a  year. 
Just  beyond  Indio 
the  road  traverses 


PROSPECTORS  AND  AN   OLD  OLIVE   MILL,  CALIFORNIA. 

the  San  Gorgonio  Pass  through  the  San   Bernardino 


FIRST   GLIMPSES   OF   CALIFORNIA. 


135 


Range,  and  reaches  an  altitude  of  2,560  feet.     All  about  are  rugged  cliffs  of  indio.the 
syenite,  and  gneiss  and  basalt,  that  in   Miocene  times  were  thrust  skyward,   v^dure^iad 
while  the  eye  catches  the  foamy  spume  of  a  mountain  torrent  that  swirls  Cahforma 
beside  the  track  and  is  lost  among  the  cliffs. 

While  we  were  still  admiring  the  rugged  scenery,  the  Girl  turned  to  the 
Colonel,  and  said  : 

"It  seems  to  me  you  should  have  a  little  something  to  tell  us  about  A  word  about 
California.     Here  we  are  now  on  the  threshold  of  it,  and  if  you  have  any 
particularly  poky  information  it  would  be  a  good  time  to  give  it  to  us." 

The  Colonel  looked  aggrieved.     "I   am   sure,"  he  said,  "that  I  have  Difficulties  of 

i       •         i          -^u  T>I  ui  sugar-coating 

dealt  very  leniently  with  you.      1  he  trouble  seems  to  be  that  you  always  dry  facts 

want  a  sort  of 
caramel  enlight- 
enment. In  other 


NATIVES   OF   SOUTHERN    CALIFORNIA. 


words,  you  want  mighty  little  and  you  want  that  little  sugar-coated.  How  in 
the  world  do  you  think  any  one  could  condense  the  history  and  resources  of  a 
great  and  diversified  commonwealth  like  this  into  a  few  words?  To  these 
shores  first  came  Cabrillo,  a  Portuguese  navigator,  who  sailed  under  the  Span- 
ish flag.  That  was  in  1542.  Then  fifty-four  years  later  came  Sebastian  Visca- 
ino,  and  after  him,  in  1769,  Junipero  Sierra,  and  planted  the  first  mission  at  Early  Spanish 
what  is  now  Old  Town.  The  different  Catholic  orders  had  been  importun- 


136 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  Dons  took 
things  easy 


Then  the 

"Gringos' 

came. 


ing  the  crown  for  authority  to  establish  missions  for  a  long  time,  and  at 
last,  to  balk  Russia,  which  threatened  to  occupy  the  country,  Carlos  III 
sent  out  a  military  command  and  after  them  followed  the  zealous  priests. 
How  the  colony,  if  such  it  could  be  called,  drifted  on  would  be  a  very  long 
story.  By  the  year  1800  the  sixteen  padres  had  13,500  Indian  converts, 
and  many  of  these  had  been  trained  to  useful  pursuits,  and  were  fairly 
skilled  in  handicraft.  The  Spanish  settlers  did  little  to  develop  the  country. 
They  had  great  r-~  3  .-  -,., 

herds  of  cattle 


Treasures  of 
mine  and  field. 


and  horses,  but  the 
cultivation  of  the  soil 
was  neglected,  and  civilization 
did    not    materially    progress.     In 
August,  1833,  the  Mexican  congress 
passed  the  order  of  secularization, 
and  the  missions,  which  had  been  gain- 
ing wealth  at  the  rate  of   more  than 
two  million  dollars  per  year,  lasped  into 
a  condition  bordering  on  ruin,  as  we  find 
so  many  of  them  to-day.    After  this  date 
came  the  thrilling  story  of  American  oc- 
IN  LOS  ANGELES.  cupancy,  the  gold  fever  of  the  Argonauts, 

and  the  later  developments  of  the  agricultural  resources.  The  California 
of  to-day  has  a  length  of  770  miles  and  a  breadth  of  330.  It  has  fifty 
million  acres  of  arable  land  and  twenty  million  of  forest." 

"  Having  produced  over  a  billion  and  a  quarter  dollars  in  gold,  it  is  no 
wonder  it  is  a  rich  state,  with  the  largest  per  capita  wealth  in  the  Union," 
I  said. 

"Yes,  but  its  wealth  is  in  its  fields  and  orchards,"  replied  the  Colonel. 
"  It  raises  more  than  forty  million  bushels  of  wheat,  fifteen  million  bushels 


FIRST    GLIMPSES    OF   CALIFORNIA.  137 

of  barley,  seventy  million  pounds  of  raisins,  thirty  million  pounds  of  prunes, 
and  eight  thousand  carloads  of  oranges  ;  wine,  twenty  million  gallons  ;  beet- 
sugar,  twenty-six  million  pounds;  wool,  forty  million  pounds;  hops,  forty- 
five  thousand  bales  ;  petroleum,  six  hundred  thousand  barrels  ;  olive  oil, 
four  thousand  five  hundred  gallons,  and  a  multitude  of  other  products  for 
export  and  home  consumption.  Everything  grows  here.  It  affords  any 
sort  of  climate  and  every  possible  soil,  and  its  waste  places  need  only  water 
to  transform  them  into  orchards  and  gardens.  It  has  hundreds  of  square 
miles  covered  with  orchards  of  citrus  fruits,  which  make  its  valleys  so 
beautiful  that,  to  the  eastern  tourist,  they  seem  like  a  vision  of  Hesperides." 

"But,  after  all,  its  climate  is  its  chief  attraction,"  I  said. 

"As  one  can  readily  understand  when  one  knows  that  the  eastern  tourists   what  eastern 

tourists  pay  for 

who  winter  here   spend  some  five  million   dollars  in   the  state   annually,     climate. 

said  the  Growler.     "That  shows  appreciation   of  climate.     Some  of  them 

have  a  wrong  idea  of  it.     They  think  if  they  get  anywhere  in    California 

they  are  safe.     They  do  not  pause   to  consider   that  the  great  state  runs 

through  many  degrees  of  latitude,  with  every  range  of  temperature  and 

humidity  made  possible   by  high  mountain  chains,  deep  valleys,  sea-coast 

and  plain.     But  there  are  certain  peculiar  features  which  obtain  all  over  the 

state.     In  the  first,  place,  the  division  of  the  year  into  two  seasons — a  dry 

and  rainy  one — is  the  most   marked  general  characteristic  of  the  Calif  or- 

nian  climate.     But  as  one  goes  further  north,  the  rains  are  found  to  begin 

earlier  and  last  longer  ;  while  on  the  other  hand,  the  southeastern  corner  of  climate  as  you 

find  it  here. 

the  state  is  almost  rainless.  Again,  the  climate  of  the  Pacific  coast  along 
the  whole  length  is  milder  and  more  uniform  than  that  of  the  states  in  a 
corresponding  latitude  east  of  the  mountains.  Thus,  we  have  to  go  as  far 
north  as  Sitka,  in  latitude  57,  to  find  the  same  mean  yearly  temperature  as 
that  of  Halifax,  N.  S.,  in  latitude  44°  39'.  And  in  going  south  along  the  variations 

c    T  \  i  jo          produced  by 

coast,   we  observe  that  the  mean   temperature  of   Los   Angeles  and   ban   local 
Diego  is  six  or  seven  degrees  less  than  that  of  Charleston  and  Vicksburg,   topog 
which  are  nearly  in  the  same   latitude,  and  situated   one  on   the  Atlantic 
coast,  the  other  on  the  Mississippi  River.     But.  in  addition,  we  notice  that 
the  means  of  summer  and  winter  are  much  nearer  the  mean  of  the  year  in 
California  than  in  the  east.     Thus,  comparing  Washington  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, we  have : 

Mean  of  Mean  of  Mean  of 

Year.  Summer.  Winter. 

San  Francisco 5^-  6°-  51- 

Washington 56-°7  76-3  36-°5 

"  This  condition  of  things  is  not  so  marked  as  we  advance  into  the  interior  summer  and 

,       winter. 

of  California,  but  everywhere  in  the  state  the  winters  are  comparatively 
mild,  and  the  heat  of  summer  is  much  less  disagreeable  in  its  effects,  because 
the  air  is  exceedingly  dry  and  the  evaporation  proportionately  rapid." 


THE  GREAT  INCLINE  UP   MT.   LOWE. 


A   TRINITY   OF   BEAUTIFUL   TOWNS. 


139 


"  Enough  of  speculation  and  deduction,"  exclaimed  the  Colonel,  as  the  jeweisofthe 
Growler  paused.     "  Here  we  are  at  Redlands  Junction.      R'edlands  is  the  valley, 
younger  and  easternmost  of  those  three  jewels  of  the  Santa  Ana  Valley  — 
the  other  two  being  Riverside  and  San   Bernardino.     Its  growth  has  been 
wholly  since  1887,  and  yet  it  now  has  alm6st  four  thousand  acres  of  orange 
orchards.     In  eight  years   it  has  developed  ~£*^m  nothing  into  a  town  of 
paved  streets,  sewered,  lighted  by  electricity,  and  adorned   by  handsome   Redlands. 
homes  and  every  public  improvement.     The  other  two  towns  are  reached 
by  a  motor  line  in  a  ride  of  a  few  minutes  from  Colton.     The  three  towns 
form  a  triangle.     Their  charms,  are  well  nigh  equal.     The  pioneer  settlers 
located  at   Riverside  in    1871.     Then  it  was  a  desert.     Now  it  has  7,500 
people,  and  the  assessed  valuation  is  upwards  of  $6,000,000.     You  have  all 
heard  of  Magnolia  Avenue    in   Riverside  —  that  broad  thoroughfare  which   Riverside, 
for  ten  miles  is  lined  with  magnolia,  pepper,  palm  and  euca- 
lyptus trees,  and  flanked  by  ten  thousand  acres  of  mag- 
nificent orange  groves.     The  hard-graveled  road  rings 
under  your  horse's  feet,  and  the  homes  that  line  this 


great    highway   are  worthy 
of  their  surroundings.    The 


AMONG   THE   SEMI-TROPIC   HOMES   OF 
SOUTHERN   CALIFORNIA. 


extensive  irri- 
gating systems  which 
have  made  this  desert 

blossom  now  furnish  water  for  twenty-five  thousand  acres  of  land.  The  city 
of  San  Bernardino,  which  has  an  altitude  of  a  thousand  feet,  was  originally  San 
a  Mormon  town,  planned  after  Salt  Lake  City.  Long  since  the  Mormons 
lost  their  hold  and  went  back  to  Utah,  and  now  successive  avenues  fringed 
with  hedges  and  feathery  palms,  and  lined  by  great  orchards,  nestling 
affluent  homes,  bespeak  prosperity.  The  business  center  of  the  city  is 
substantially  built,  and  everything  indicates  order  and  progression.  These 
three  towns  are  the  fit  representatives  of  the  great  orange  industry,  and  I 
have  never  known  any  one  who  visited  here  who  did  not  feel  a  longing 


Bernardino. 


A   TRINITY    OF   BEAUTIFUL   TOWNS.  141 

to  take  up  his  residence  in  some  one  of  them,  and  enjoy  the  delights  of  liv- 
ing under  such  attractive  conditions." 

"While  we  are  running  through  this  land  of  perpetual  bloom,  I  am  An  anecdote  of 
reminded  of  an  amusing  story  my  friend  Horace  Bell  used  to  tell,  of  a  time, 
when  everything  was  very  different,"  remarked  the  Growler.  "  It  was  a 
true  incident,  occurred  right  here,  and  will  give  you  an  illustration  of  the 
social  order  of  early  California.  There  was  in  the  early  50*5  a  doctor  who 
had  come  to  California  with  Stevenson's  pioneer  regiment.  He  was  a 
useful  character,  who  soon  won  local  distinction  as  a  Democratic  politician 
and  filled  sundry  municipal  offices.  In  the  Presidential  canvass  of  1852, 
the  two  parties,  Whig  and  Democrat,  were  warmly  arrayed  one  against  the 
other.  The  Democratic  outlook  was  good  except  in  one  particular  precinct, 
that  of  Jurupa — and  it  is  here  proper  to  say  that  Los  Angeles  county  at  that 
time  embraced  all  the  territory  of  San  Bernardino,  the  division  having  been  The  field  oi 
made  in  1854.  Old  Louis  Roubideaux  was  the  lord  of  Jurupa,  that  is,  he 
owned  and  occupied  the  Jurupa  Rancho,  and  he  was  a  Whig,  and  could  not 
be  won  over  in  any  way.  The  case  seemed  hopeless,  and  the  Doctor  was 
sent  out  with  his  saddle-bags  full  of  Democratic  tickets  to  act  as  a  forlorn 
hope  in  the  cause.  Then  and  there  was  where  the  transcendent  genius  of 
the  embryo  politician  cropped  out.  About  half  way  from  Jurupa,  which 
was  then  a  military  post,  to  San  Bernardino  was  situated  the  most  beautiful 
little  settlement  I  ever  saw.  It  was  called  '  Agua  Mansa,'  meaning  gentle  "AguaMansa," 

.          .  .  T          •».•       •  a  place  of  unso- 

watei,  and  was  composed  entirely  of  emigrants  from  New  Mexico,  number-  phisticated 
ing  some  two  hundred  souls — simple,  good  souls  they  were,  too  ;  primitive 
in  their  style  of  living,  kind  and  hospitable  to  strangers,  rich  in  all  that  went 
to  make  people  happy  and  content,  never  having  been,  up  to  that  time,  vexed 
by  the  unceremonious  calls  of  the  tax  collector,  owing  allegiance  to  none 
save  the  simple,  kind-hearted  old  priest  who  looked  after  their  spiritual 
wellfare.  In  the  winter  of  1862  a  flood  in  the  Santa  Ana  River  swept  away 
their  houses,  gardens,  orchards,  vineyards,  in  fact  all  of  their  splendid 
agricultural  lands,  leaving  nothing  save  a  hideous  plain  of  black  boulders 
and  cobble-stones  to  mark  the  place  where  once  stood  this  modern  minia- 
ture Eden. 

"  There  must  have  been  at  least  fifty  voters  at  Agua  Mansa,  which  had   The  wily 
been  designated  as  the  voting  place  for  the  Jurupa   precinct.     So  to  this  arrives o"  the 
place  hied  the  noble  Doctor  as  the  avaunt  courier  of  American  civilization, 
to  give  this  primitive  people  their  first  lesson  in  the  mysteries  of  citizenship. 

"The  Doctor  was  a  New  Yorker,  and  may  have  had  past  experience  in 
the  management  of  elections.     In  this  instance  he  not  only  proved  himself 
an  adept,  but  a  perfect  master  of  the  business.     Arriving  at  Agua  Mansa,   His  religious 
he  dismounted,  tied   his  hungry  mustang,   divested  himself  of  his  leather   manifested 
Mexican  leggings  and  jingling  spurs,  and  with  the  sacred  saddle-bags  on 


142  THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 

his  arm,  with  solemn  step  and  downcast  eyes,  he  bent  his  way  to  the  little 
adobe  church  that  stood  on  a  mound  in  the  center  of  the  village.     Arriv- 
ing^-al  the  door  he  piously  uncovered,  reverently  crossed  himself,  entered 
The  old  priest     and  prostrated  himself  in  front  of  the  little  altar,  and  was  then  and  there 
trap.m  discovered  by  the  simple  old  priest,  who  sprinkled  him  with  holy  water  and 

offered  him  sweet  words  of  consolation.  Within  the  next  hour  the  Doctor 
informed  the  priest  that  his  piety  (the  priest's,  not  the  Doctor's)  had  a  world- 
wide fame,  and  that  in  the  distant  land  of  New  York  the  sacred  name  of 
Friar  Juan  of  Agua  Mansa  was  a  household  word  among  all  good  Catho- 
lics, and  he,  the  Doctor,  had  made  a  pilgrimage  hither  to  invoke  the  prayers 
of  the  saintly  Juan  for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of  his  mother  (the  Doctor's 
mother,  not  the  priest's),  at  which  period  the  Doctor  slipped  a  'slug'  into 
the  palm  of  the  astonished  Juan. 

And  the  people  "  Suffice  it  to  say  that  prayers  and  masses  were  the  order  of  the  day,  and 
^  on  the  following  morning,  at  the  breakfast  table,  the  Doctor  informed  the 
priest  that  an  election  would  be  held  on  that  day  for  President  of  the  United 
States ;  that  one  candidate,  General  Scott,  was  a  great  heretic,  and  was  the 
tyrant  who  made  war  on  the  Catholics  of  Mexico  ;  and  that  it  would  be  a 
great  calamity  to  the  Catholic  world  should  Scott  be  elected;  that  Pierce,  the 
other  candidate,  was  a  good  Catholic,  and  if  elected  would  build  Catholic 
churches  all  over  the  world,  and  that  it  therefore  behooved  them,  as  good 
Catholics,  to  see  that  Agua  Mansa  cast  its  vote  for  Pierce.  And  Agua  Mansa 
did,  under  the  pious  instructions  of  the  saintly  Juan,  subject  to  the  satanic 
Doctor,  vote  early  and  all  day  for  the  Democratic  candidate,  to  the  great 
chagrin  of  old  Louis  Roubideaux,  who  felt,  for  the  first  time,  that  he  had 
lost  his  influence  with  the  gentle  people  of  Agua  Mansa." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

IN     THE     CITY     OF     THE      ANGELS,      TOGETHER      WITH      SOME      SIDE     TRIPS     TO 

PASADENA    AND    MT.     LOWE,    SANTA    MONICA    AND    ITS    GREAT 

WHARF,   AND    THE    ISLAND    OF    SANTA    CATALINA. 


F 


ROM  now  on   the  road  was  through  the  great  orange  district — past   Past  the  old 

.......  .  »„••  Mission  of  San 

Pomona  and  through  the   San   Gabriel  Valley   where  is  the  Mission   Gabriel. 
which  Padres  Somera  and  Cambon  established  in  August,  1771.     Under  the 
very  shadow  of  its  chapel  General  Kearney  defeated  the  Mexican  forces  in 
his  memorable  battle.     The  Girl  was  in  a  continuous  ecstacy  of  delight, 
and  she  went  into  raptures  over  the  beautiful  views  from  the  window.    The 
Colonel   was  pointing  out   the  different  varieties  of  fruit,  and  explaining 
something  of  their  cultivation  and  profit.     Even  the  Growler  wore  a  com- 
placent look — a  sort  of  "  Isn't-it-all-I-told-you"  air.     In  an  hour  or  two — 
in  the  very  midst  of  bur  enjoyment  of  it  all — the  train  ran  into  the  environs 
of  a  city,  and  presently  came  to  a  standstill   in  a  great  cool  depot — the   And  into  LOS 
Arcade  at  Los  Angeles.     As  we  were  driven  through  the  busy  streets,  with   m'iifs'ftxfni 
their  tall  modern  buildings,  their  hurry  of  electric  cars  and  bustle  of  com- 
merce, the  Colonel  said  : 

"  Looking  now  at  this  metropolis  of  75,000  people  it  is  pretty  hard  to 
realize  that  it  was  a  thriving  pueblo  when  the  Franciscan  Fathers  estab- 
lished their  Mission  in  1781.  The  name  given  to  it  '  The  Pueblo  de  la  Reina 
de  los  Angeles/  or  town  of  the  queen  of  the  angels — bespoke  the  impression- 
the  early  beauty  of  the  place  made  upon  its  founders.  Here,  in  1822,  the 
first  American  came,  brought  as  a  prisoner.  In  1835  the  place  became  the 
capital  of  California,  and  in  August,  1846,  Commodore  Robert  F.  Stockton 
and  Maj.  John  C.  Fremont  marched  in  and  raised  the  stars  and  stripes  on 
Fort  Hill.  When,  in  1847,  Fremont  became  Governor  he  established  his 
headquarters  here.  It  was  from  here  he  made  his  famous  mustang  ride  to  The  city  before 
Monterey — a  round  trip  of  a  thousand  miles,  which  he  covered  in  just  eight 
and  a  half  days — an  average  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles 
per  day.  Through  the  first  stormy  years,  when  lawlessness  was  more  or  less 
prevalent,  the  town  grew  by  gradual  accretions  of  a  more  desirable  class, 
and  with  the  usual  adventurous  circumstances  attending  the  building  of  a 
city,  it  increased  in  importance  until  when  in  1881  it  celebrated  its  centen- 
nial thirty  thousand  people  were  in  line.  From  then  on  the  growth  of  the 

143 


144 


THROUGH    STORYLAND  TO    SUNSET    SEAS. 


NOW  it  is  city  was  rapid  and  its  improvement  marked.     To-day  its  limits  comprise  an 

todrateghly  UP  area  of  thirty-six  square  miles,  through  which  flows  the  Los  Angeles  River. 
The  municipality  controls  a  very  extensive  irrigating  plant  as  well  as  a 
system  for  the  supply  of  water  for  domestic  purposes.  In  every  element 
that  goes  to  make  up  city  life,  it  is  not  surpassed  by  any  place  in  the 
country.  The  cleanliness  of  its  well-paved  streets,  the  architecture  of  its 
business  center,  and  the  charm  of  its  residence  thoroughfares,  where  hedges 


Easy  to  get 
around. 


Plans  for 
seeing  things. 


CALIFORNIA    INDIANS    IN   CAMP 


of  calla  lilies  supplant  fences,  and  great  rose  trees  hide  roofs  and  walls  and 
clamber  in  a  clinging  mass  over  porches — all  make  up  a  picture  which  can- 
not anywhere  be  duplicated." 

During  the  two  or  three  days  that  we  spent  there  we  found  our  time 
fully  occupied.  The  extensive  cable  and  electric  lines  make  all  parts  of  the 
city  and  the  adjacent  suburbs  easily  accessible.  The  parks,  the  gardens, 
the  places  of  public  amusement,  kept  us  busy  in  our  tour  of  sight-seeing. 

Then,  one  evening,  when  the  Colonel  said  :  "  Now  we  must  prepare  to 
visit  a  few  of  the  points  of  interest  about  here,"  we  were  ready  to  hear  what 
else  there  possibly  could  be  more  interesting  than  that  which  we  had  seen. 

"In  the  first  place,"  he  continued,  deliberately,  "Los  Angeles  is  the 
center  of  a  great  many  attractions,  and  it  is  the  strategic  base  to  move  on 
them,  from  which  the  tourist  naturally  makes  headquarters.  As  we  came 
past  Riverside,  Redlands  and  San  Bernardino,  and  will  stop  and  visit  them 
on  our  way  back,  we  need  not  make  a  special  trip  there  now,  tho'  they  are 
points  which  every  traveler  will  wish  to  inspect.  But  we  will  take  a  run 
over  to  Pasadena  and  Mt.  Lowe  ;  go  down  to  Santa  Monica,  over  to  Santa 
Catalina  Island,  and  on  our  way  northward  will  slip  over  to  Santa  Barbara. 
If  we  had  time  we  would  take  a  run  down  to  San  Diego  and  Coronado 
Beach,  which  are  reached  from  here  by  an  easy  run  of  a  few  hours." 

"  That's  a  list  of  attractions  that  no  other  point  can  offer,"  said    the 


IN    THE   CITY    OF   THE    ANGELS. 


145 


•Growler.     "The  most  sublime  mountain  scenery  and  a  ride  up  to  it  on  the  Attractions 

....  . .  ..  ,  .  near  Los 

steepest  railway  in  the  world,  a  glimpse  of  one  of  the  greatest  piers  ever  Angeles, 
•constructed,  and  a  dip  in  the  surf  of  the  Pacific  at  a  place  where  you  can 
take  a  header  in  the  breakers  all  the  year  round  without  discomfort ;  a 
thirty-mile  sail  over  the  bluest  of  seas,  and  an  island  harbor  at  the  end  of 
the  ride  which  would  delight  any  lover  of  nature." 

"  Let's  have  the  surf-bath  first !  "  cried  the  Girl. 

"All  right ;  then  it's  Santa  Monica  we  go  to,"  replied  the  Colonel.  "  It's 
•only  a  run  of  an  hour  and  it's  almost  due  west  of  here.  The  Southern 
Pacific  runs  frequent  trains  to  Port  Los  Angeles,  just  beyond,  where  it  has 
its  big  wharf,  and  does  an  immense  excursion  business." 

We  went  down  to  Santa  Monica  the  next  day,  visiting  the  soldiers'  home   ^anta  Monica 
and  the  famous  ostrich  farm  on  the  way.     At  Santa  Monica  the  train  runs  wharf 
into  a  flower-bespangled  park,  while  just  beyond  the  sea  beats  upon  a  wide 
beach  of  white  sand.     The  ride,  all   the  way  down,  is  through  the  rural 
beauties  of  the  orange  country.      The  shore  line  of  the  bay  has  a  graceful 
sweep.    In  the  summer  the  /*>«w         cool    winds    from     the 

northwest  are  /  diverted  by  the 

\jfj .  "  >^   Sierra      Santa 

^N^ 

*X^     Monica, 


a  billowy  range 

of  coast  mountains 

shore.  Hencetheocean 

and     the    breakers     are 

beautiful     eucalyptus  SCENES  IN  LOS  ANGELES. 


lying  along  the  northern 
swell  is  long  and  gentle, 
never  annoying.     There  are 
gr0ves,  an(}  the  streets  of  the 


old  town    are  lined  with  trees,   while  the   admirable  Hotel  Arcadia,    with 

every   concomitant   of   elegant   comfort,    stands    upon   the   beach  with   a 

perpetual    invitation    to   guests   to   linger   for   a   time.     There   is   besides 

the   unexcelled  surf  bathing,  a  great  bath-house  where   huge  pools  invite 

those  who  refuse  the  ruder  play  of  the  waves.     Gathering  shells  and  moss,   Delights  of  the 

bathing  in  the  surf,  and  visiting  the  great  Southern  Pacific  wharf,  at  Port 

Los  Angeles,  4,600  feet  long,  that  curves  out  into  the  turquois  waters,  occu- 

pied our  time.     The  wharf  is  a  huge  structure,  with  coal  bunkers  that  will 

hold   more   than   8,000  tons,   depot   buildings  and   freight  sheds  that  will 


146 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Pasadena  and 
Mt.  Lowe. 


Into  Rubio 
Canon. 


Difficulties  of 

construction 

illustrated. 


Up  the  Great 
Incline,  where 
the  grade  is  62 
per  cent. 


accommodate  the  longest  trains.  The  next  day  was  given  over  to  Pasadena 
and  Mt.  Lowe.  Pasadena,  the  gem  of  the  San  Gabriel  Valley,  with  sts 
twelve  thousand  people,  nestles  between  the  Sierra  Madre  Range  and  the 
Puente  Hills.  Here,  where  once  the  indolent  dons  had  their  ranches  and 
the  jovial  friars  cared  for  the  docile  Indians,  the  Anglo-Saxon  has  built  a 
beautiful  city.  Here  wild  flowers  bespangte  the  fields,  and  rugged  old  trees 
of  native  growth  mingle  with  the  orchards  of  orange,  lemon  and  olive. 
Here  the  clouds  only  obscure  the  sun  on  fourteen  days  of  the  year, 
and  the  mean  of  the  thermometer  is  59°.  Winter  does  not  exist  and 
summer  is  not  a  season  to  be  dreaded.  The  homes  all  wear  an  air  of 
cheerful  content  and  plenty,  while  many  of  them  bear  evidence  of  the 
wealth  of  their  occupants.  The  newly  opened  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific 
soon  carried  us  from  Los  Angeles  to  and  through  Pasadena,  and  the  electric 
line  took  us  into  Rubio  Canon,  named  for  the  venerable  padre  of  ihe  Mis- 
sion of  San  Buenaventura.  The  line  winds  about  the  base  of  the  hills, 
higher  and  higher,  crossing  gorges  and  through  deep  cuts  in  the  spurs  that 
jut  out.  At  the  foot  of  the  Great  Incline  we  alighted  and  walked  up  Rubio 
Canon,  half  a  mile  or  more. 

"  I'm  out  of  breath  !  "  the  Girl  exclaimed. 

"  Shall  we  go  back  ?  "  the  Colonel  asked. 

"  No,  indeed,  it  is  too  lovely — I  want  to  see  it  all,"  was  the  response. 

The  pathway  leads  through  deep  gorges,  where  the  gray  and  mossy  walls 
rise  on  each  side  to  shut  the  canon  in.  We  are  following  up  a  mountain 
brook  that  dashes  madly  along.  In  places  the  way  is  blocked  by  a  sheer 
precipice,  over  which  the  stream  falls  in  foamy  spray,  but  here  wooden  steps 
clinging  to  the  precipice  makes  progress  possible. 

"  Every  bit  of  this  timber  was  carried  in  here  on  the  shoulders  of  men," 
says  the  Growler. 

At  last  we  turn  an  abrupt  angle  of  the  rock  wall,  and  before  us  a  silvery, 
veil-like  mist  of  water  falls  from  a  hundred  feet  or  more  above.  At  our 
feet  is  a  pool  so  clear  that  every  shining  grain  of  sand  at  its  bottom  is  visible. 
All  about  the  tall  cliffs  hem  us  in,  their  cool  black  faces  blotched  with  green 
mosses.  After  standing  in  silent  admiration  for  a  long  time,  we  turn  and 
retrace  our  steps. 

"  I  never  will  go  up  there,"  said  the  Girl,  firmly,  as  we  stood  at  the  foot  of 
the  Great  Incline  ready  to  take  the  car. 

"  It  is  perfectly  safe,  my  dear,  or  I  would  not  trust  you  to  it,"  replied  the 
Colonel,  persuasively. 

"  This,"  said  the  Growler,  craning  his  neck  to  look  up  to  where  the  track 
disappeared  over  the  hill  ahead,  "  is  what  Count  Commodensky,  imperial 
superintendent  of  the  military  roads  of  Russia,  pronounced  the  most  won- 


IN    THE    CITY    OF    THE   ANGELS.  147 

derful  engineering  feat  he  had  seen  anywhere.     In  a  length  of  3,000  it 
makes  a  direct  ascent  of  over  1,300  feet." 

By  the  time  the  conductor  called  "all  aboard,"  we  had  taken  our  places  Thestartfor 
in  the  open  car,  which  is  so  arranged  that  the  seats  are  always  on  a  level,   Mountain.  ° 
regardless  of  the  steep  grade.     There   was  a  signal  by  wire  to  the  motor- 
house  on  the   mountain,  the    long  steel  cable    tightened    and    we   moved 
upward.     At  every  foot  the  panorama  of  seamed  and  rugged  mountain  grew 
beneath   us,  and  then  we  caught  glimpses  -^      of  the 

great  valley  that  spread  below,  with  /<  j^       its 

clustering  houses  and 
its  shining  reser- 
voirs.    When  we 
stepped  out  on 
the  plateau  at 
the  top,  where 
a  commodious 
hotel  awaited 
us,  it    was  to 
have  an  unex- 
ampled pano- 
rama   unfold- 
ed at  our  feet,  for  here  one  looks  off  across  the  intervening  valleys  to  the  far  The  panorama 
Pacific,  and  sees  the  islands  whose  green  heights  rise  from  the  waves  thirty  beiow.va 
miles  off  shore.     Field    and  garden  and  orchard  are  lying  below  like  the 
squares  of  a  vast  checker-board  ;  and  one  waits  on  the  wide  verandas  or 
walks  along  the  edge  of  the  high  ridges  to  rest  the  eye  upon  this  changeful 
picture  of  delight. 

"  Well,  I  know  there  is  nothing  more  beautiful  than  this  !  "  said  the  Girl,  at 
last. 

"  It  is  only  one  of  the  wonders  California  is  so  prodigal  in,"  was  the 
Colonel's  reply.  "You  will  say  that  same  thing  a  hundred  times  before  we 
leave  the  state." 

"That's  the  trouble!"  chimed  in  the   Growler.     "There  is  so  much  to  The  perplexity 

11-  T    ,      ,  •  i  i   •  •  i     r  r     ,  ,    i  •     i         °f  to°  many 

see  and  admire.     It  s  like  looking  at  good  pictures.     A  few  of  them  delight  good  things, 
one,  and  you  can   restfully  enjoy  them,  but  when  you  visit  a  great  gallery 
crowded  with  superb  canvases  the  senses  become   dulled  and  one  grows 
weary." 

"Well,  well,"  responded  the  Colonel,  "never  fear,  we  won't  see  half  the 
wonders  of  California,  try  as  we  will,  and  each  place  is  so  different  in  its 
beauty  or  its  character  of  novelty  from  all  the  others  that  there  is  not  much 
chance  of  getting  tired." 

On  up  the  mountain,  to  the  very  summit  of  tall  Mt.  Lowe,  an  electric 


THE  WILD   FLOWERS   OF   CALIFORNIA. 


148 


THROUGH    STORYLAND    TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


San  Pedro. 


Off  for  Santa 

Catalina 

Island. 


A  paradise  in 
the  Pacific. 


Cabrillo  spied 
it  out  in  1542. 


railway  runs — a  marvelous  piece  of  construction,  which,  at  times,  juts  out 
from  the  sheer  face  of  a  precipice,  while  one  looks  out  of  the  car  window 
into  chasms  thousands  of  feet  deep. 

We  took  the  train  for  San  Pedro  the  next  morning,  and  another  ride  of 
sixty  minutes  landed  us  at  the  pretty  little  seaport  town  with  its  island- 
sheltered  bay  and  its  white  lighthouse.  The  steamer  was  awaiting  us  and 
as  we  went  on  the  upper  deck,  the  Growler  looked  about  ecstatically,  and,, 
with  a  genuflexion  of  his  arm  toward  the  sea,  exclaimed  : 

"Ah,  this  is  something  like  it  —  nothing  like  the  sea  to  brace  you  up,  my 
boy  !  Why,  this  trip  will  make  us  all  feel  younger." 

"  How  far  out  is  it  to  Santa  Catalina,  the  isle  of  summer,  you  have  been 
talking  about  so  much,  papa  ?  "  the  Girl  asked,  looking  a  little  timorously  at. 
the  long  ocean  swell  outside. 

"It  lies  about  nineteen  miles  off  the  coast,"  the  Colonel  replied,  "and  far 
enough  south  of  here  to  make  the  voyage  one  of  almost  thirty  miles.     But 
don't  be  alarmed  ;  you  know  you  are  on  the  Pacific  now." 
"  How  much  of  an  island  is  it  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Well,  say  twenty-three  miles  long,  with  a  breadth  of  from  eight  miles  to 

half  a  mile.  Its  hills  rise  to  a 
height  of  three  thousand  feet, 
and  they  shelter  lovely  valleys, 
woodlands,  and  in  fact  a  great 
diversity  of  natural  scenery. 
James  Lick  bought  the  island 
from  the  Government  in  1864 
for  $12,000  and  made  a  mighty 
good  bargain.  It  is  now  owned 
by  the  Banning  Brothers  of  Los- 
Angeles,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
resorts  on  the  whole  coast." 
course  its  discovery  was  due  to  the  old 
navigators?"  I  said;  "they  seem  to  have 
monopoly  of  discovery  in  the  South  and 


A   CATALINA   ISLAND   MOUNTAIN 
SHEEP. 


replied  the  Colonel.  "Cabrillo,  when 
looking  for  the  mythical  Straits  of 
came  upon  Santa  Catalina  in  September,. 
1542.  Cabrillo  died  on  one  of  the  islands  of  the  Santa  Barbara  channel  ;  but 
his  pilot,  Ferrello,  has  left  a  diary  which  tells  us  that  a  large  Indian  village 
was  located  on  what  is  now  known  as  Avalon  Bay  on  the  south  side  of  the  Cata- 
lina. Doubtless  Drake,  Woods,  Rogers,  Sherlocke,  and  the  buccaneers  who- 
were  much  in  evidence  shortly  afterwards,  all  visited  the  place,  but  it  was  not 


IN    THE    CITY    OF   THE    ANGELS. 


149 


until  sixty  years  later,  when  the  expedition  which  Philip  III  sent  out  under 
Sebastian  Vizcaino  landed  there  and  gave  it  its  name,  that  we  hear  much 


SOUTHERN   PACIFIC   WHARF   AT   PORT   LOS    ANGELES. 


the 


of    it.     The    large    native    population    deserted,  at    the  instigation  oi 
Franciscan  fathers,  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century." 

"And  more's  the  pity,"  said  the  Growler  ;   "for  they  left  a  lovely  home  The  natives 
and  a  life  of  independence  to  take  up  peonage  under  their  religious  task-   thingUp 
masters.     But  the  island  shows  ample  evidence  of  an  older  civilization,  and 
one  which  presents  a  good  many  problems  to  the  ethnologist." 

"  Well,  don't  let's  have  any  problems,"  exclaimed  the  Girl  :  "  the  sea  and 
the  day  are  too  delightful." 

It  was,  indeed,  a  charming  day,  and  for  a  quarter  century  an  annually 


IN    Till-;    CITY    OF    THE    ANGELS. 


151 


growing  throng  of   tourists   have  been  singing  the  praises  of  the  voyage. 

The  sea   is  wimpied   in  great  billowy  undulations  that  shade  off  in  every 

range  of  color  —  from  turquois,  as  you  look  over  the  side  of  the  vessel,  to 

emerald,  where  heaven  clasps  it  far  away.     White  sea-gulls  follow  close 

behind  the  steamer,  or  sweep  ahead  and  over  it  in  long  graceful  curves  of 

flight.     In   the  water  you  discern   great  masses  of  kelp  that  some  far-off  The  voyage  to 

storm  has  dislodged  from  ocean  caves  perhaps  a  thousand  fathoms  deep. 

Flying  fish  rise  in   swift  flight  and  skim  the  surface  for  a  hundred  yards 

until  their  gossamer  wings  fail  them  and  they  fall  back  into  their  element. 

There  was  just  enough  sea  to  be  exhilarating,  and  we  were  all  somewhat 

surprised  to  notice  the  Growler  rise  a  little  shakily  from  his  chair  just  as 


ARROYA    SECO,    NORTH   FROM    PASADENA.' 


the  island  was  coming  well  into  view  and  say,  with  the  aspect  of  a  man  who 
is  going  to  keep  his  secret  if  he  dies  for  it  : 

"  Excuse  me,  please;  I  will  go  down  on  the  lower  deck  and  look  over  the  The  Growler 

,  .,  disappears 

Vessel.  below. 

"  Don't  look  over  the  side,"  said  the  Girl,  airily;  "  you  might  fall  over,  you 
know." 

"I  have  no  intention  of  looking  over  the  side,"  replied  the  Growler,  with 
pale  dignity.  "  I  have  been  to  sea  too  often  to  indulge  in  any  such  tom- 
foolery." 

"The  Growler's  sea-sick,"  said  the  Girl,  heartlessly  ;  "  won't  we  tease 
him,  tho'." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure  you  won't  be  in  the  same  condition  yourself,"  replied 
her  father. 


IN   THE    CITY    OF   THE   ANGELS. 


153 


The  little  town  of  Avalon  clusters  close  under  the  encircling  hills  upon   Avaion  and  its 


the  sheltered  bay  of  the  same  name.  On  either  hand  the  bold  promontories 
push  themselves  out  into  the  sea,  and  offer  a  front  of  rock  to  the  great 
billows  that  beat  against  them.  Behind  and  on  either  side  of  the  scattered 


sheltered  bay. 


the 


slope  sharply,  with  here  and  there  a  nodding  tree, 
everywhere  the  vivid  green  of  thick  grass  and  the  brilli- 
wild  flowers.     The  boats  of  the  fishermen  are  drawn 
on  the  white  strand,  and  on  the  beach  their  nets  are 
spread.     The  shells  they  gather  upon  the  Cata- 
lina  shores  are  wonderful  in  their  variety,  and 
more  wonderful  in  the  diversity  of  their  color- 

|  ing- 

&•  ^      "  It  all  seems  like  a  pretty  bit  of  stage- 
setting,"  said  the  Girl,  delightedly,  as  the 
steamer  drew  close  to  the  dock. 
"  What  an  ideal  place  it  is,  to 
be  sure  !  " 

The  Growler  was  standing  paie,  but 
on  the  lower  deck  when  we 
prepared  to  disembark.  He 
looked  pretty  pale,  and  there 
was  a  sad,  far-away  gleam  in 
I  tried  to  be  jocose,  and  ex- 
"  Nothing  like  a  sea  trip  to 
one  up,  eh  !  makes  us  feel 
don't  it?"  But  our  comrade 
humor  for  badinage,  and  he  re- 
"  There  are  certain  conditions 
system  when  the  oldest  sailor 
uncomfortable,  but — 
have  time  to  finish  and  I  was 
I  really  pitied  the  Growler,  and 
badly.  But  we  were  at  the  dock, 


and 


his  eyes, 
claimed: 
brace    » j 
younger,     V* 
was  in  no 
plied  :  / 

of     the 
is  apt   to  feel 
He  did  not 
glad  of  it,  for 
I  knew  he  felt 

and  while  we  walked  up  to  the  hotel  the  Girl  chatted  away  at  a  rate  which 
soon  smoothed  things  over.  It  was  four  or  five  days  before  we  could  induce 
the  Growler  to  start  on  the  return  trip.  The  Girl  sided  with  him  and  wanted 
to  stay,  and  it  did  no  good  for  the  Colonel  to  protest  that  we  would  not  get 
back  home  in  a  year  unless  we  cut  our  sight-seeing  shorter,  and  it  was  only 
when  I  intimated  that  he  was  afraid  of  the  return  voyage  to  San  Pedro  that  he 
showed  a  willingness  to  go.  That  touched  his  vanity.  I  confess  I  was  in 
no  hurry  to  leave  myself,  for  after  we  took  the  famous  coach  ride  from 
Avalon  to  the  isthmus,  through  Middle  Ranch  Canon,  winding  about  the 


They  all 
wanted  to  stay. 


154 


THROUGH    STORYLAND    TO   SUNSET    SEAS. 


Sports  of  the 
island. 


The  island 
goat. 


Treasures  of 
the  sea  and  air. 


Cabrillo  Range,  under  the  shadow  of  the  Peaks  of  Orizaba  and  Viscaino, 
there  was  plenty  to  occupy  our  time.  We  tried  to  catch  a  jew-fish,  but 
didn't  succeed.  However,  we  had  no  end  of  sport  with  yellow-tail — the 
salmon  of  these  waters  —  and  caught  barracuda,  rock-bass,  white-fish, 
grouper  and  tuna  enough  to  supply  the  hotel.  The  Growler  and  I  s-pent  a 
day  in  the  mountains  in  chase  of  the  agile  mountain  goat,  which  here 
abounds.  It  was  a  long  tramp,  but  it  had  its  rewards,  for  we  bagged  a  fine 
specimen.  We  both  caught  sight  of  him  at  the  same  time,  and  made  a  long 
detour  to  crawl  up  within  rifle  shot.  He  stood  like  a  sentinel  guarding  a 
little  flock  that  was  feeding  in  a  hollow  below.  The  Growler  and  I  both 
fired  at  the  same  time,  and  the  goat,  with  a  high  bound  in  the  air,  fell  dead. 
A  shot  had  struck  him  just  back  of  the  left  shoulder.  I  protested  that  I 
had  killed  him,  but  the  Growler  said  he  knew  it  was  his  shot  because  he 
always  fired  for  the  left  shoulder  when  hunting  big  game.  To  settle  the 
matter  we  agreed  to  have  the  head  mounted  and  give  it  to  the  Girl  as  a 
souvenir  of  the  trip. 

Everything  tempted  us — the  gray  rocks  covered  with  sea  anemones  of 
varied  colors,  and  with  star-fish  hiding  in  the  crannies  ;  the  jelly-fish  which, 
in  bulky  mass  or  long  glass-like  tendrils,  floated  in  on  the  tide  ;  the  brown 
pelicans  that  haunt  the  shore  with  lumbering  flight  ;  the  loon,  and  gulls,  and 
eagles.  So  it  was  small  wonder  that  we  saw  the  fair  shores  of  Santa  Catalina 
fade,  and  the  mists,  that  distance  drops  like  a  curtain,  hide  the  island  head- 
lands from  our  sight. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


UP      THE      MAIN      LINE,     THROUGH      THE      TEHACHAPI      PASS      AND      THE      SAN 
JOAQUIN    VALLEY    TO    SAN    FRANCISCO. 


I 


'VE  got  a  better  plan  for  seeing  California,"  the  Colonel  announced 

the  night  before  we  left  Los  Angeles. 
Of  course  we  were  all  attention  at  once,  for  we  knew  the  Colonel  would 
devise  the  best  methods  for  systematic  sight-seeing. 

"  The  main   line  of   the  Southern  Pacific,"  he  continued,  "  runs  the  full   southern 

....  Pacific  lines  in 

length  of  the  state,  entering  at  its  northern  line  and  leaving  it  at  the  south-   California, 
east  corner,  traversing  the  entire  central  part  of  the  commonwealth.    It  also 
has  a  coast  line,  which  runs  south  from  San   Francisco,  and   soon  to   be 
connected  at  Elwood  with  the  present  road  from  that  point  to  Saugus  on 


ON   A   CALIFORNIA    OSTRICH    FARM. 


the  main  line.  The  many  branches  of  the  system  which  diverge  from  these 
principal  lines,  without  speaking  of  the  Union  Pacific  to  Ogden,  make  every 
point  of  California  readily  accessible.  Now  we  will  go  up  on  the  main  line 
to  San  Francisco,  perhaps  take  a  run  up  to  Portland,  Oregon,  out  to  Salt 
Lake,  Utah,  and  when  we  are  ready  to  come  home  we  will  return  via  the 
coast  line.  In  this  way  we  shall  save  doubling  back  over  the  same  road  and 
will  see  the  whole  country." 

155 


156 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  "Couldn't  be  better,"  said  the  Growler.     "  Now  that's  the  advantage  of 

advantages  of  . 

a  great  system,  this  great  system.  It  is  so  extensive  that  it  reaches  every  point  of  interest, 
making  the  very  best  of  connections  and  being  in  the  hands  of  our  friends, 
as  it  were,  all  the  time.  ' 

Leaving   Los   Angeles   the   road    follows   for  a  time  the  bank  of  the 
beautiful   river,   and  then  commences  its 

Through  the      climb  of  the  valleys  of  the  Los  Angeles 

funn^i.rna          and  San  Fernando  until,  twenty-six  miles 


Driving  over 
the  trail  before 
the  railroad 
was  built. 


from  the  city, 
and  r , 2  o  o 
feet  above  it, 
or  at  an  alti- 

UldCOf    1,469 

feet,  it  goes  through  the  great  San  Fernando  tunnel  in  the  range  of  that 
name.  The  tunnel  is  6,967  feet  long.  Across  here  the  old  Mexican  pack- 
trail  led,  and  in  the  years  before  the  railroad  had  projected  its  daring  feat 
long  strings  of  burros,  loaded  with  the  products  of  the  country,  wended 
their  devious  way  through  the  mountain  defile.  When  Fort  Tejon  was 
established,  the  firm  of  Alexander  &  Banning,  pioneer  stage  operators  of 
Los  Angeles,  determined  to  run  a  six-horse  stage  over  the  old  trail.  People 
pronounced  the  project  visionary  and  no  driver  could  be  found  who  would 
assume  the  responsibility.  Then  Phineas  Banning  himself  declared  that 
he  would  drive  the  stage  and  prove  that  the  road  was  practicable.  So  one 
day  in  December,  1854,  found  him  seated  on  the  box  at  the  summit  of 
the  San  Fernando.  His  six  panting  mustangs  were  covered  with  foam,  and 
his  nine  passengers  looked  at  the  seemingly  sheer  precipice  of  hundreds  of 
feet  which  was  before  them,  and  chose  to  walk.  But  nothing  could  terrify 
Banning.  With  a  crack  of  the  whip  and  a  tightening  of  the  reins,  he 
urged  his  trembling  mustangs  forward.  They  gave  a  tug  and  the  stage 
started  down  the  mountain  side  —  rackety,  crash,  bang,  it  went,  sometimes 
the  horses  ahead  of  the  stage,  and  sometimes  the  stage  ahead  of  the  horses,. 


UP   THE   MAIN    LINE. 


157 


until  it  landed  in  a  thicket  of  chaparral  at  the  foot  of  old  San  Fernando,  a 
wild  conglomeration  of  harness,  coach,  mustangs,  and  Banning.  "  Didn't  I 
tell  you  so,  gentlemen,"  the  driver  exclaimed,  as  he  extricated  himself  from 
the  wreck.  "A  beautiful  descent;  far  less  difficult  than  I  anticipated.  I 
intended  that  staging  to  Fort  Tejon  and  Kern  River  should  be  a  success, 


and,  you  see,  my  judgment  was  correct."  And 
right,  for  later  on  the  road  was  improved  to  such 
staging  was  not  attended  by  imminent  risk  to 

"  This  is  where  we  would    leave  the  main 
going  direct  to  Santa   Barbara,"   said 
the  Growler,  when  Saugus,  thirty-two 
miles   from    Los    Angeles,    was 
reached.    "It  is  the  junction  with     "j 
the  Santa  Barbara  branch  and  a 
delightful  run.    But  we  will  come 
down  on  the  coast  line  and  see 
it   all,   here    reaching   the   main 
line  again  on  our  return." 

Beyond   Saugus  the  line  follows 
for  the  most  part  the  Soledad  Canon 
through  the  San  Gabriel  Range,  with 
the  headwaters  of  the  Santa  Clara  ,..".  : 
close  at  hand,  until  at  Alpine  it  enters   * 
ernmost  corner  of  the  Mojave  JDesert.  ^ 
vation  is  greater  (twenty-seven  hun- 
than  the  Colorado  Desert,  but  it  wears 
same  aspect.      Here  the  yucca  palm  grows, 
seem  to  the  ordinary  tourist  as  tho'  it  had  no 
add  to  the  dreariness  of  the  scene,  it  is  made 
English  firm  who  manufacture  from  it 
quality  of   printing  paper.      One   sees 
the  great  desert  which   stretches   off   to    the    west 


THE  CALIFORNIA  POPPY. 


the  west- 
-  The  ele- 
P  dred  feet) 
much  the 

and    tho'     it   might 
other    use    than    to 
available    by   an 
an     excellent 
but  little  of 
far   into   Arizona  and 


Nevada.     There  are  thrifty  looking  towns  at  intervals,  and  at  Mojave  a 
junction  is  formed  with  the  Atlantic  &  Pacific  Railway. 

"I  want  you  all  to  be  on  the  alert  now,"  said  the  Colonel,  when  the  road 
began  winding  along  Cache  Creek  and  among  the  spurs  of  the  Tehachapi 
Range.  "  This  mountain  chain  was  long  the  serious  barrier  which  prevented 
access  by  railroad  to  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  and  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  triumphs  of  railway  engineering  ever  achieved  in  any  part  of 
the  world  is  just  ahead  of  us.  North  of  the  summit,  which  has  an  elevation 
of  3,964  feet,  a  group  of  mountain  peaks  and  vast  crags  belonging  to  the 
terminating  southwestern  spur  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  disputed  the  advance 


He  got  there 
just  the  same. 


Banning  was 
an  extent  that 
neck  and  limb, 
line  if  we  were 


Saugus,  the 
junction  point 
for  Santa 
Barbara. 


Through 
Soledad  Canon 


The  Mojave 
Desert. 


The  Pass  of 
the  TehachapL 


CASCADE    FALLS. 


1HKEE   HROTHERS. 

NORTH   DOME. 
IN  THE   YOSEMITE   VALLEY. 


EL   CAPITAN. 


THE    SAN    JOAQUIN    VALLEY. 


AMONG   THE   POPPIES. 


of  the  steel  highway,  but  by  a  series  of  complex  and  bewildering  curves,  and 
finally  by  actually  making  a  turn  where  the  road  crosses  itself  at  the  famous 
'  Loop,'  the  pathway  was  made." 

"  There  was  a  hardy  class  of  settlers  here  in  early  days,  and  antelope  and 
deer  were  abundant  and,  indeed,  may  be  yet  in  the 
small  valleys  and  romantic  canons  scattered  through 
the  range  ;  the  forests  of  pine  and  spreading  oaks 
and  groves  of  evergreen  giving  them  safe  retreat, 
while  the  many  springs  and  brooks  afford  delightful 
camping  grounds  under  the  shelter  of  rugged  crags. 
During  the  dark  days  of  the  civil  war  a  desperado 
named  Mason  collected  about  him  a  gang  of  cut- 
throats who  robbed  and  murdered  all  who  failed  to 
pay  them  tribute.  They  made  the  Pass  their  head- 
quarters, and  terrorized  the  country  until  Mason  was 
killed  by  one  of  his  own  men,  when  the  organization 
was  broken  up  and  a  good  many  of  the  members 
expiated  their  crimes  on  the  gallows." 

"The  scenery  is  too  beautiful  to  listen  to  those 
horrid  stories,"  said  the  Girl.  "  Every  view  from  the 
window  is  different  —  now  a  glimpse  of  a  verdant 
valley  through  great  canon  walls,  and  now  a  dashing  brook  or  a  colossal 
mountain  mass  that  makes  one  feel  subdued." 

"Impossible  !"  replied  the  Growler.  "Certainly  nothing  could  have  that 
effect  upon  a  woman." 

"  Well,  the  trip  to  Catalina  had  that  effect  upon  you,"  retorted  the  Girl, 
and  the  Growler  subsided. 

Now  we  entered  the  great  San  Joaquin  Valley,  that  vast  basin  bounded 
on  the  east  by  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Coast  Range,  a 
great  arable  plain  seventy  miles  wide,  and  stretching  four  hundred  and 
eighty  miles  north  and  south,  from  Mt.  Shasta  to  Tehachapi  Pass.  Watered 
by  the  Sacramento  and  its  tributaries  in  the  north,  and  by  the  San  Joaquin 
and  King's  rivers  and  their  tributaries  in  the  south,  sheltered  by  its 
mountain  chains,  and  with  a  variety  of  soil  and  climate  found  nowhere  else, 
it  is  the  granary  of  the  Pacific  coast  and  one  of  the  great  fruit  centers  of  the 
world.  The  six  counties  into  which  the  lower  250  miles  of  the  valley  are 
divided  would  each  make  a  state  larger  than  Connecticut,  individually 
capable  of  supporting,  as  its  commercial  center,  a  city  of  more  than  50,000 
people.  The  average  rainfall  of  this  section  is  ten  inches,  but  agriculture  is 
expedited  by  irrigation  on  a  stupendous  scale,  the  main  canal  alone  of  one 
system  tapping  the  Merced  River  is  over  twenty-seven  miles  long,  ten  feet 
deep,  one  hundred  feet  wide  at  the  top  and  seventy  feet  at  the  bottom.  Its 


The  famous 
"  Loop." 


It  was  a 
bandit 
stronghold 
once. 


Through  the 
Great  San 
Joaquin 
Valley. 


The  granary 
and  vineyard 
of  the  coast. 


% 


GLACIER  POINT,   YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 


THE   SAN   JOAQUIN    VALLEY. 


161 


carrying  capacity  is  3,400  cubic  feet  per  second.  This  canal,  which  is  but 
one  of  many  in  this  immense  valley,  was  constructed  at  a  cost  of  $3,242,000 
to  benefit  the  territory  in  its  wide  neighborhood. 

The  temperature  of  this  section  rarely  falls  below  30°.  The  fertility 
of  the  soil  is  amazing,  and  the  profits  of  agriculture  almost  beyond 
credulity.  Here  are  orange  groves  producing  eight  hundred  dollars  per 
acre  per  annum,  and  blackberry  and  strawberry  gardens  yielding  to  their 
owners  up  to  $1,500  per  acre.  The  vineyards  and  fruit  orchards  are 
measured  by  miles  square,  and  their  great  size  corresponds  with  the  almost 
fabulous  yearly  revenues  derived  from  them.  Among  them  are  scattered 
edifices  which  resemble  the  suburban  homes  of  capitalists  rather  than  farm 
houses,  which  they  are  —  the  homes  of  the  owners. 

The   local  attractions   have  naturally  drawn   hither  a  large  number  of 


THE  FERRY  SLIP  AT  PORT  COSTA. 


wealthy  people,  including  many  high  class  and  enterprising  English  ;  and 
the  money  spent  by  such  settlers  has  enhanced  the  value  of  neighboring  as 
well  as  their  own  property. 

Phenomenal  natural  advantages,  industrious  development,  sagacious 
expenditure,  such  are  the  elements  that  have  made  of  the  San  Joaquin 
Valley  a  picture  of  prosperity,  whether  seen  as  a  sea  of  green  in  early 
verdure  or  glistening  with  the  brown  richness  of  harvest  time. 

As  the  train  ran  on  mile  after  mile  through  this  wide  sweep  of  fields, 
the  Girl  broke  forth  in  exclamations  of  delight. 


irrigating 

schemes. 


Everything  on 
a  large  scale. 


The  homes  it 

offers. 


162 


THROUGH    STORYLAND    TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  field 
flowers  of 
California. 


Bakersfield. 


"Oh,  what  wild  flowers!  "  she  exclaimed.  "Why the  fields  are  carpeted 
with  them!  " 

While  the  train  stopped  at  a  station  I  got  out,  and  gathered  an  armful  to 
bring  in  to  her,  and  the  Colonel  said  : 

"This  is  the  land  of  flowers  as  well  as  fruits,  you  know.  The  poppy,  or 
eschscholtzia  California,  is  the  flower  emblem  of  the  state.  Its  petals  are 
sometimes  _  larger  than  your  hand,  a  bright  yellow 

shading  off  into  a  brilliant  orange  at 
.\    the  center.   It  is  in  evidence  every- 
where,  with  a 
range  from 
gold  to 
!    scarlet, 


WHARF  AND   FERRY   LANDING   AT   SAN   FRANCISCO. 


and  gionfy'ng 

alike    their 

genus  and  the 

fields   where 

they  grow.     Then  there  is  the  violet  and  the  primrose,  the  sweet-clover  that 

ranges  from  yellow  to  purple  and  rose,  and  the  wild  geranium,  the  blue 

larkspur  and  the  scarlet  silene.     Mingling  with  the  green  of  the  fields  they 

make  a  vivid  carpeting  that  would  delight  Pan  and  his  attendant  satyrs  in 

their  sylvan  revels." 

Talking  thus  we  passed  on  our  way  many  thrifty  towns  and  cities,  the 
Colonel  and  the  Growler  indulging  in  a  friendly  rivalry  as  to  which  should 
give  us  the  most  useful  information. 

At  Bakersfield  the  Colonel  said  :  "  The  people  of  Kern  county,  of  which 
this  is  the  prosperous  capital,  have  turned  a  river  on  their  farms,  for  they 
have  made  Buena  Vista  Lake  a  storage  reservoir  for  water,  and  diverted 


SAN   JOAQUIN    VALLEY. 


163 


Fresno  and  its 
great  raisin 
interests. 


Kern  River  from  its  natural  bed  and  compelled  it  to  pour  its  waters  on  their 
fields." 

When  we  reached  Fresno  the  Growler  took  a  hand  and  remarked:  "  Now 
here's  a  good  city,  a  railroad  center  and  a  manufacturing  point.  From  here 
comes  one-half  of  California's  enormous  crop  of  raisins.  They  will  soon  be 
shipping  4,000,000  boxes  a  year  and  it  isn't  any  wonder,  for  ten  and  fifteen 
tons  of  grapes  to  the  acre  is  nothing  unusual  hereabouts.  A  little  way 
eastward,  in  the  same  county,  are  vast  forests  of  pine,  spruce,  hemlock  and 
cedar,  among  which  are  scattered  many  specimens  of  the  sequoia  gigantea, 
those  giants  of  the  forest  which  attain  a  diameter  of  from  twenty-five  to 
forty  feet  and  grow  to  a  height  of  five  hundred  feet  sometimes.  You 
should  see  how  they  bring  the  timber  down  from  the  mountain  forests  into 
the  mills  at  Madera,  which  is  our  next  stop." 

"  How  do  they  do  it  ? "  I  asked. 

"  Well,  the  timber  is  cut  up  in  the  mountains,  and  of  course  a  long  way  off  Logging  by 
the  railroad.    Ordinary  means  of  transportation  would  not  be  available,  so  a  flumes- 
V-shaped  wooded  flume  has  been  constructed,          -  The  one 

running  to  Madera  is  the  longest  in  the 
world,  sixty  miles.     A  torrent  of 
water  pours  through 


it  and  the  logs  are  floated  down  it.  The  water  not  only  transports  the  logs, 
but  it  furnishes  power  for  the  mill  which  cuts  them  up  and  for  a  number  of 
other  industries,  and  is  finally  made  to  serve  a  good  purpose  in  irrigating  a 
large  area  of  land." 

"  But  don't  the  logs  stick  sometimes,"  I  queried. 


164 


THROUGH    STORYLAND    TO    SUNSET    SEAS. 


The  millions 
locked  up  in 
the  forests. 


"  I  never  Beard  of  them  doing  so/'  was  the  reply.  "  You  would  not  think  they 
would  stick  at  anything  if  you  saw  them  come  down.  It  is  with  a  rush  that 
would  send  them  right  through  a  brick  block.  The  flume  has  a  carrying 
capacity  of  350,000  feet  per  day.  Just  to  give  you 

an    idea   of  the   timber   resources    of 

California,    x^  £  (  ^\lt:  's   wel"   to  state  tnat   a 

careful     J?M  \     estimate    of     Fresno 


on  the  basis  of 
is  eighty  million  dollars." 


county's  timber  interests, 

ten  dollars  per  thousand,     ON  NOB  HILL-  SAN 

At  Berenda,  three  hundred  and  four  miles  from  Los  Angeles  and  less 
than  two  hundred  miles  from  San  Francisco,  the  Colonel  said  : 

"This  is  the  junction  point  for  Raymond,  beyond  which  lies  the 
Yosemite  and  the  Mariposa  big  trees,  the  veritable  Garden  of  the  Gods. 
It  is  but  a  short  rail  ride  to  Raymond,  and  from  there  by  stage  into  the 
wonderland  of  the  Yosemite,  that  great  cleft  in  the  Sierras,  over  whose 
creation  scientists  have  vainly  puzzled  for  so  long.  The  floor  of  the  valley 
is  four  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  its  towering  walls  rise  five 
thousand  feet  higher,  in  sublime  massiveness  like  El  Capitan  —  the  fit  corner- 
stone on  which  to  set  a  world  —  or  in  spire-like  peaks  as  at  the  Cathedrals. 
All  about  are  great  earth  masses,  Mt.  Dana,  Tenaya  Peak,  South  Dome, 
Cloud's  Rest,  and  a  score  of  others,  from  ten  to  fourteen  thousand  feet  high. 
Its  waterfalls  are  like  veils  of  mist  dropping  from  their  great  heights  of  a 
thousand  and  sixteen  hundred  feet  ;  its  pellucid  lakes  and  the  brawling 
Merced  River,  its  still  forests,  all  these  things  have  been  sung  by  a  host  of 
poets,  dwelt  on  lovingly  by  many  writers  and  made  famous  on  canvas  by 
artists  like  Bierstadt,  Hill,  and  Hertzog.  In  the  Mariposa  Grove  are  450 


SAN   JOAQUIN    VALLEY. 


165 


of  the  sequoia  gigantea,  where  specimens  of  trees  thirty  feet  in  diameter 
and  three  hundred  feet  tall  are  not  uncommon." 

So  we  drifted  on,  crossing  presently  the  San  Joaquin  River  after  leaving 
Lathrop,  where  the  main  line  swings  to  the  left  while  a  branch  continues 
on  to  Stockton  and  Sacramento.  Before  long  we  look  off  across  wide 
meadows  where  the  rank  water-grass  grows.  A  pleasant,  moist,  saline  odor 
steals  into  the  air,  which  tells  of  the  near-by  ocean,  and  then  we  see  the 
white  sails  of  moving  craft,  whose  hulls  we  cannot  discern,  sunk  in  the 
devious  waterways  that  are  hidden  from  us  by  the  lush  growth  of  waving 
tule.  Presently  the  glint  of  blue  water  comes  to  us,  and  before  many 
minutes  Suisun  Bay  breaks  upon  our  vision.  The  delta  of  the  Sacramento 
and  San  Joaquin  is  but  a  little  way  back  of  us.  The  line  hugs  the  coast 
closely  now  all  the  way  into  Oakland,  the  little  waves  sometimes  lapping 
the  roadway  almost  beneath  the  car  windows.  Constantly  the  waterscape 
is  changing  —  always  it  is  lovely.  At  the  Straits  of  Carquinez,  through 
which  the  waters  of  Suisun  Bay  discharge  themselves  into  San  Pablo  and 
hence  into  San  Francisco's  broad  harbor,  we  find  a  line  of  tall-masted  ships 
and  black-hulled  steamers  lying.  They  are  the  grain  carriers  loading  wheat 
from  the  monster  elevators  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Company  to  carry  it  to 
all  parts  of  the  world.  At  Port  Costa  you  can  get  a  glimpse  of  the  largest 
ferry  boat  in  the  world.  It  is  used  to  carry  trains  across  in  their  flight  to 
Sacramento  and  Ogden.  On  the  other  side  of  the  bay,  on  the  shelving 
promontory,  is  the  old  town  of  Benicia,  which  once  hopefully  anticipated 
commercial  and  politi- 
cal greatness.  At  San 
Pablo  station,  as  we 
skirt  the  bay  of  that 
name,  we  look  across  to 
the  harbor  of  San  Fran- 
cisco and  out  through 
the  portals  of  the  Gol- 
den Gate  to  where  the 
broad  Pacific  stretches 
to  the  Orient.  It  is  a 
glorious  vision,  look  at 
it  when  you  will  —  in 
the  dim  light  of  early 
morning,  the  glow  of 
afternoon,  when  it  is  gilded  by  the  splendor  of  the  sunset,  or  mysteriously 
veiled  in  the  shadows  of  the  gathering  dusk.  To  the  right  is  the  rocky  peak 
of  Alcatraz  Island,  crowned  with  frowning  guns  and  the  gloomy  walls  of 
the  military  prison.  On  the  left  Goat  Island,  with  its  white  buoy  station 


Drawing  neat 
the  bays. 


BUFFALO   IN   GOLDEN   GATE   PARK. 


By  the  shores 
of  Suisun  and 
San  Pablo 
bays. 


Ships  that 
carry  the  bread 
stuffs  to  the 
world. 


Port  Costa  and 
Benicia. 


166  THROUGH   STORYLAND    TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 

The  vision  of     and  light-house,  while  beyond  it  rises  Telegraph  Hill,  with  the  crowding 

Gate.° '  city  pressing  all  about  it  —  to  the  water  front  and  farther  back  than  the 

eye  can  follow  toward  the  great  park  and  the  cliffs  beyond.     And  while 

you  are  drinking  in  all  the  beauty  and  majesty  of  the  splendid  panorama, 

the  train  sweeps  into  the  outskirts  of  Oakland  and  down  the  whole  length 

of  the  mile-long  pier  to  where  the  huge  ferry  waits  to  carry  you  to  the  place 

of  your  hopes,  to  the  city  where  all  that  is  picturesque  and  fascinating  in 

And  this  is  San   anomalous  ways  of  living  and  traits  of  national  life  invite  to  sight-seeing 

and  study  and  enjoyment  —  San  Francisco. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


A    LOOK    ABOUT    SAN    FRANCISCO THE    SEAL    ROCKS- 
CHINATOWN,    ETC. 


GOLDEN    GATE    PARK, 


her  hair  and 
was  refreshing 
"Who  could 
i  t  s  inception 
claimed  the 


ON    the    many   hills  that  give   to  it  pic- 
turesqueness  and  variety,  San  Fran- 
cisco clambers  back  from  the  dock  line  front- 
ing the  bay  where  the  carriers  of  its  com- 
merce lie,  toward  the  beautiful    park    of 
the  Golden  Gate  that  stretches  well 
to   the    westward    where    the    great 
white   sand  dunes   lead  to  the  Cliff 
House   and  Sutro  Park.     The 
^,        promontory  on  which  the  city 
stands  is  swept  in  summer  by 
the    winds  from  the  west  and 
southwest,    and    in    winter    by 
those  that  blow  from  the  south- 
east and  north.     It  is  but  little 
colder  in  winter  than   in  sum- 
mer, the  mean   of  the  temper- 
ature being  from  55°  to  57°. 
Invariably     the      trade      wind 
springs  up  in  the  morning,  and 
tho'  the  Girl  was  distressed  by 
its    want  of  consideration    for 
milinery,  we  all  agreed  that  it 
and  invigorating, 
realize  that  this  great  center  had 
within  a    short    lifetime/'    ex- 
Coionel,  as  we  sat  on  one  of  the 


JOSS-tlOUSE  AND  FORTUNE-TELLER 

cable  cars  on  our  way  to  the  Cliff  House  and  Golden  Gate  Park.  "The  obscure 
little  Spanish  village  of  Yerba  Buenaof  1835  has  become  the  great  metropolis 
of  sixty  years  later.  There  were  probably  not  five  hundred  people  here  when, 
in  January,  1848,  James  W.  Marshall  made  his  gold  discovery,  forty-five 
miles  northeast  of  Sacramento.  Then  the  current  of  immigration  turned 

167 


San  Francisco, 
area  48 
square  miles ; 
population 
350,000.      From 
New  Orleans 
2,489  miles. 


The 

accomplish- 
ment of  a 
lifetime. 


168 


THROUGH    STORY  LAND    TO    SUNSET    SEAS. 


Days  of  its 
early  growth. 


Characteristics 
in  which  it  is 
alone. 


this  way,  and  in  the  last  ten  months  of  1849  nearly  40.000  people  landed 
here.  The  story  of  its  turbulent  early  years,  of  the  prodigal  richness  of  the 
mines  and  placers  that  flowed  a  stream  of  wealth  in  here  to  make  men  mad, 
of  the  five  great  fires  that  nearly  annihilated  it,  of  the  fluctuations  that 
made  stagnation  follow  eras  of  activity  —  but  always  led  to  more  enduring 
prosperity  ;  of  its  millionaires,  its  sand-lot  disturbances,  its  Chinese  agita- 
tion ;  these  things  are  matters  of  common  knowledge,  for,  in  a  peculiar 
sense,  all  men  have  had  their  thoughts  turned  to  San  Francisco,  and  so 
people  who  come  here  for  the  first  time  are  not  surprised  either  at  the 
splendid  solidity  of  the  city,  its  great  enterprises  or  its  cosmopolitan  life, 
yet  the  vividness  of  the  charm  and  novelty  of  its  individuality  impress  us  at 
the  beginning  and  we  never  quite  escape  it." 

"  Does  it  differ  materially  from  any  other  great  city  in  those  respects, 
Colonel  ?"  I  asked. 

"Very  materially,"  was  the  response.  "Where  will  you  find  another 
Chinatown,  for  instance  —  a  foreign  city,  where  the  natives  dress  and  live  in 

every  essential  respect  just  as  they  do  at 
home  —  in  the  heart  of  a  thoroughly 


GOLDEN    GATE   PARK,    SAN    FRANCISCO. 

American  city.  In  my  judgment  Chinatown  is  the  greatest  show-place 
in  the  country — it  is  worth  a  trip  across  the  continent  to  see  it  any  time. 
Golden  Gate  Park  —  tho'  it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  world 
—  does  not,  perhaps,  differ  so  radically  from  any  other  great  public 
pleasure  ground.  But  when  you  think  that  it  has  been  created  upon  what 
twenty-five  years  ago  were  bare  and  shifting  sand  dunes,  the  fact  impresses 
you.  The  city  street-life  takes  its  coloring  from  the  cosmopolitan  character 
of  the  population,  and  this  infusion  of  many  nationalities  and  tastes  runs 
into  all  its  public  life  —  the  diversity  and  degree  of  its  restaurants,  the 


A    LOOK   ABOUT    SAN    FRANCISCO. 


169 


characters  one  sees  on  the  streets  and  about  the  wharves,  its  amusements,  Features  of  a 
etc.  But  these  things  you  will  learn  for  yourselves  better  than  I  can  tell  potation.1* 
you." 

"I  think  it  is  so  delightful  to  see  all  those  flower  sellers  about  the  Lotta 
Fountain,"  said  the  Girl.  "Where  else  could  one  get  an  armful  of  roses  or 
sweet  peas  for  twenty-five  cents?" 

"Well,  \iere  is  where  you  will  see  flowers,"  remarked  the  Growler,  as  we   Golden  Gate 

. .     ,  .      ,  Park,  1,000     • 

alighted  at  the  park  entrance   acres  of 


and 


strolled    in.     The   band 
was  playing  in  the  pa- 
vilion,    and    a    great 
crowd    was     listening 
with     manifest 


garden. 


STREET   MERCHANTS   IN    CHINATOWN. 


enjoyment  to  the  excellent  music.     We   listened,  too,  for  a  little  time,  and 

then  went  on  to  view  some  of  the  beauties  of  the  place  —  the  impressive 

statuary,  the  great  aviaries  with  their  fairy  host  of   flitting  birds,  native 

and  exotic,  that  here  have  so  wide  a  range,  with  running  streams  of  water 

and  trees  that  nod   above   close  thickets  that  they  do  not  know  they  are 

captive,  and  fly  about  or  rear  their  young  in  all  the  abandon  of  outdoor  life; 

the  deer  glen,  where  elk  and  antelope  browse  complacently  ;  the  great  cage,   Buffalo  and 

where  is  the  monster  grizzly  bear  —  now  so  fallen  from  his  high  estate  that 

he  opens  his  great  jaws  for  expected  morsels  of  candy  ;  the  park,  where  a 

herd  of  buffalo  graze  and  shake  their  massive,  shaggy  heads  in  simulated 

ferociousness  ;  the  parks  and  sylvan  solitudes,  where  the  feathery  fronds  of 

lace-like  ferns  hide  in  the  crevices  of  dripping  rocks,  or  bright-hued  flowers 

lure  one  to  trespass  the  injunction  not  to  pick  them. 


170 


THROUGH    STORYLAND     TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 


ciiffHouse,  From  here  we  went  out  to  the  Cliff  House,  and,  walking  up  the  winding 

tutroRparkSand   roadway  cut  into  the  rugged  face  of  the  promontory,  stood  watching  the  great 
sea-lions  that  swarmed  upon  the  rocks  just  off  shore. 


The  seals  are 

privileged 

characters. 


"It  wouldn't  be  hard  to  get  a  sealskin  coat  here,"  said  the  Girl.     "Any- 
body could  go  out  there  and  capture  a  seal." 

"  No,  they  couldn't,"  replied  the  Growler.     "  The  authorities  take  good 


FLASH-LIGHT   PICTURES   IN  THE  OPIUM   DENS  OF  CHINATOWN. 

care  of  those  fellows,  and  tho'  the  fishermen  complain  that  they  eat  the 
salmon  the  people  are  too  fond  of  their  pets  to  permit  them  to  be  harmed. 
You  wouldn't  find  another  city  that  could  invite  you  to  come  and  see  its 
seals  in  their  native  element  like  this." 

Strolling  through  the  sightly  Sutro  Gardens  that  crown  the  cliff,  we  sat 
down  finally,  overlooking  the  blue  ocean. 


A    LOOK    ABOUT   SAN   FRANCISCO.  171 

"  I  see  islands  far  out  there,"  said  the  Girl. 

"I  used  to  be  able  to,"  her  father  replied,  "but  my  eyes  are  not  as  The  "land's 
strong  as  they  once  were.     The  islands  are  those  of  the  Farallones,  the  coast.0 
veritable  '  land's  end  '  of  America,  and  they  are  good  places  for  the  mariner 
to  keep  away  from  in  bad  weather." 

"I'm  so  anxious  to  see  Chinatown  that  I  don't  want  to  risk  postponing 
it  by  enjoying  this  lovely  view  another  minute,"  said  the  Girl. 

"  Not  to-night  ;  I  am  tired,"  said  the  Colonel. 

"It  don't  matter  —  you  must  go,"  replied  his  daughter,  inexorably,  she  insists 
"You've  been  talking  Chinatown  to  me  ever  since  I  could  walk,  and  now  I  chilfatown 
want  to  see  it."  at  once. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  she  had  her  way  —  the  Girl  generally  does  — 
and   that  night   found  us  strolling  down    Dupont   Street  in  charge  of  a 
"guide,"  a  wholly  useless  personage,  unless  one  wants  to  see  more  of  the  she  saw  the 
seamy  side  of  Mongolian  life  than  he  would  care  to  open  to  the  view  of  the  but'noV'the' 
ladies  of  his  acquaintance.     "  I  want  to  see  it  all,"  the  Girl  announced,  and   worst 
she  really  believes  to  this  day  that  she  saw  it  all,  tho'  a  sly  twinkle  is  dis- 
cernible in  the  Growler's  eye  when  she  mentions  it,  and  I  suspect  there 
were  a  good  many  things  the  guide  did  not  show  us  on  that  or  subsequent 
occasions.     But,  goodness  knows,  some  of  them  were  bad  enough. 

For  three  blocks  after  you  reach  the  confines  of  Chinatown,  below  Cali-   where  the 
fornia  Street,  Dupont  is  lined  with  stores  given  up  to  the  sale  of  wares  keep>.dealer 
from  the  Flowery  Kingdom.     You  can  buy  anything  —  from  silk  embroid- 
eries to  tea,  and  from  carved  ivory  to  cloisone  and  satsuma  ware.     There 
is  such  a  variety  of  things,  and  they  all  seem  so  cheap,  when  the  Mongolian 
gets  down  to  the  bottom  of  his  sliding  scale  of  prices,  that  one  is  tempted 
to  buy  everything  in  sight.     I  pitied  the  Colonel,  for  the  Girl  made  heavy  TheCoionei 


drafts  on  his  exchequer,  but  he  stood  it  like  a  stoic,  and,  as  the  Growler  mUanup 
remarked,  "he  never  even  whimpered." 

The  streets  we  wandered  through  were  thronged  with  Chinamen  —  the 
poorer  classes  dressed  in  cotton  blouses  over  their  wide  trousers,  the  mer- 
chants in  softly  rustling  silks  or  shiny  black  cambric  jackets,  in  whose 
ample  folds  they  looked  like  grotesque  manikins.  From  the  little  conical 
caps,  surmounted  with  a  scarlet  knot  of  braided  cord,  to  the  slipshod  san- 
dals in  which  they  shuffled  along  the  pavements,  their  apparel  was  quaintly 
striking,  and  as  they  stood  in  little  groups  at  the  corners  or  hurried  along 
intent  on  business,  the  tenor  of  their  conversation  or  the  salutations  they  street  scenes 
exchanged  were  those  one  would  hear  in  Canton  or  upon  the  streets  of  ' 
Hong  Kong.  Now  and  again  a  woman  toddled  by,  her  mincing  gait  made 
unsteady  by  the  high  convex  shoes  she  wore,  her  well  oiled  black  hair  fan- 
tastically braided  and  coiled  ;  or  olive-tinted  infants,  just  old  enough  to  walk, 
perhaps,  yet  perfect  fac-similes  of  their  elders  in  all  the  details  of  their  cos- 


RAG  PICKERS'  ALLEY,  CHINATOWN. 


A    LOOK    ABOUT    SAN    FRANCISCO.  173 

tumes,  would  cause  the  Girl  to  exclaim,  "Well,  if  they  are  not  the  cunning- 
est  little  things!  —  wouldn't  I  like  to  take  one  home,  tho'." 

We  went  into  a  drug  store  where  the  most  conspicuous  object  in  the   what  the 
window  was  a  featherless  chicken  in  a  bottle  of  blood-stained  alcohol — a  take, 
sovereign  remedy,  this,  for  certain  affections  we  were  told.     The  almond- 
eyed  pharmacist  was  compounding  a  prescription  which  would  have  filled  a 
half-peck  measure  when  he  got  all  the  ingredients  together  —  a  handful  of 
moss  from  one  box,  and  a  double  handful  of  bark  from  another,  a  piece  of 
reindeer  horn,  the  leg  of  a  frog,  a  few  choice  dried  beetles  and  a  multitude 
of  other  stuff,  all  to  be  boiled  and  the  resulting  liquid  administered  to  the 
unfortunate  patient. 

The    Girl   was   interested    enough    in    the   grocery   stores,  where   were  The  tid-bits ot 
displayed  dried  bats  extended  upon  sticks,  and  rats  smoked  until  they  looked  store™ 
like  attenuated  slices  of  well   cured  bacon  ;  curious  roots  grown  in  China 
and  various  preparations  imported  from  the  same 
far-off  home  to  tempt  the  Celestial   epicure  to  in- 
dulgence—  I  say  she  was  interested  in  all  this  and 
.in  the  narrow  and   crowded  little  shops  where  all 
sorts  of  handicraft  were  carried   on  —  in   the  sil- 
versmiths and  shoemakers  and  pipe  repairers  who 
prosecuted  their  avocations  at  wee  benches  in  the 
street   with    supreme    indifference  to  the   passing 
throng — but  when  the  odors  from  an  underground 
restaurant  were  wafted  to  her  nostrils  she  took  her 
nose  firmly  in  her  hand   and  quickened   her  gait. 

1  J-CJ  J  U  i'Cl  A  CHERUB  OF  CHINATOWN. 

She  was  vastly  edified,  and  somewhat   mystified 

to  boot,  bv  the  fortune-teller  who,  sitting-  in   his  stuffy  little  room,  with   The  prophecy 

of  the  seer  hits 

the  mysterious  symbols  of  his  craft  upon  the  walls  and  the  odor  of  burning  the  mark. 

incense  hovering  about  him,  told  her  "  past  and   future,"  with  creditable 

accuracy,  as  to  the  past  anyhow.     Then   a  peep   into  the   Chinese  theatre,   At  the  theatre 

,    it  was  bad 

where  we  sat  upon   the  stage  and  watched   the  actors  whose  mimicry  of  enough, 
emotion   struck  us  as  even  more  ludicrous  than   the   infernal   din  of  the 
orchestra  that  thumped  and  shrieked  at  intervals.    From  here  the  guide  led   Rag-pickers' 
us  into  the  underground  dens  and  noisome  alleys,  where  squalor  lurks  and  opfum  dens.e 
vice  hides  itself  in  the  gloom  of  out-of-the-way  places. 

"  Oh,  this  gives  me  the  shivers  !  "  exclaimed  the  Girl,  in  an  awe-struck 
whisper,  as  she  raised  her  skirts  to  keep  them  off  the  filthy  floors.  "We'll  all 
be  murdered  ;  I  know  we  will." 

We    were    groping   down    a    dimly    lighted    alley,    with    tall    walls    all   where  they 
about  us,  the  stain  of  years  upon  them,  and  overhanging  balconies  of  wood 
that  seemed  on  the  eve  of  tumbling  down.     Then  we  turned  into  a  stone- 
paved  area,  went  down   a  couple  of  flights  of  rickety  steps  and  through  a 


174 


THROUGH    STORYLAND    TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 


She  wanted  to 
get  out  then.iD 


In  the 

underground 

places. 


passage-way,  at  the  end  of  which  a  sputtering  lamp  gave  faint  light. 
Through  a  door  and  we  were  in  an  opium  den  where  the  air  was  heavy  and 
blue  with  the  pungent  odor  and  fumes  of  the  narcotic.  On  the  low  couches 
men  lay  in  trance-like  stupor  that  was  the  counterfeit  of  death,  or  in  the 
stolidity  of  waning  consciousness  puffed  uncertainly  at  their  long  pipes, 
while  they  held  the  bowl  over  the  flame  of  small  tapers,  or  worked  with 
nervous  manipulation  the  little  globules  of  black  paste  to  make  it  ready  for 
the  drowning  of  their  senses. 

"Let's  go  out,"  said  the  Girl ;  "I  don't  want  to  see  any  more  of  it  —  I 
can't  breathe  in  here." 

"And  yet,"  said  the  Growler,  "white  women  do  come  to  these  hideous 
dens  and  'hit  the  pipe,'  in  the  inelegant  vernacular  of  the  habit." 

Through  underground  rooms,  where  men  herded  like  cattle  and  with  less 
of  the  instinct  of  cleanliness  than  the  beast  of  the  field,  we  went,  seeing  the 
old  blind  woman  who,  with  a  room  full  of  cats,  inhabits  a  miserable  hole 


A   CHINKSE    RESTAURANT. 


under  the  very  street ;  now  looking  on  at  greedy-eyed  gamblers  who,  with 
fierce  guttural  ejaculations  of  rage  or  gratification,  watched  the  turn  of  the 
cards,  and  again  picking  our  way  past  groups  that  huddled  in  corners  to 
divide  the  spoil  gathered  in  ash  heaps  and  the  choice  morsels  rescued  from 
refuse  barrels. 


A    LOOK   ABOUT    SAN    FRANCISCO.  175 

"To  the  joss-house  and  the  restaurant,  and  then  to  the  hotel  and  to 
bed,"  said  the  Colonel  at  last. 

"  I've  seen  all  of  this  locality  I  want  to,"  said  the  Girl ;  "  but  I'm  coming 
to  Chinatown  to  look  through  the  stores  every  night  we  stay  here,  and  I 
think  some  of  these  Chinese  merchants  are  just  as  nice  as  they  can  be." 

There  are  half  a  dozen   joss-houses  in  Chinatown,  but  the  one  we  visited   where  the 
on   this   first  night  was  the  temple  of  Kwan   Kung,  on  the  west  side   of  worship  false 
Waverly  Street,  between  Clay  and  Sacramento.    The  guide  explained  that  it  8 
was  in   connection  with   the  Ning  Yeung  Company,  the  richest  and  most 
powerful  Chinese  guild  in  California.      The  entrance  bears  the  inscription, 
"Purify  thyself  by  fasting  and  self-denial,"  and  the  walls  of  the  staircase 
are  covered  with  thousands  of  slips  of  red    laper  that  bear  the  names  of 
adherents   who   have    posted   them    that   they   may   be    borne    in    kindly 
remembrance  by  their  deity.     The  walls  are  hung  with  emblazoned  banners, 
and   covered  with   purple  and  crimson  tablets  and  rich  embroideries.     The   Kwan  Kung's 

..  ...._.  .  throne  room  a 

pagentry  of  royal  courts  in  the  far  East  is  recalled  by  elaborate  carvings,   gorgeous 
and   there  are  stands  of  spears  and  battle  axes,  while  brass  dragons  and  v 
bronze  bells  and  great  metal  bowls,  and  images  of  gods  are  everywhere. 
Beyond  the  splendid  altars,  with  their  costly  service  of  urns  and  vases  and 
censers,  enthroned  -in  an  odor  of  incense,  is  the  image  of  Kwan  Kung,  the 
god  of  war,  the  flower  of  the  chivalry  of  far  Cathay. 

"He  isn't  very  handsome,  is  he  ?"  remarked  the  Girl,  irreverently,  as  she  it  did  not 
gazed  upon  the  hideous  features  and  the  seated  figure  decked  in  all  the  reverence, 
finery  of  gorgeous  apparel. 

"And  wouldn't  the  wind  play  havoc  with  those  whiskers  ?"  replied  the 
Colonel,  pointing  to  the  jetty  hirsute  that  swept  over  the  bosom  of  Kwan 
even  unto  his  waist. 

It  was  only  a  few  steps  round  to  the  restaurant  where  we  designed  taking  The  Chinese 

,  .     ,     n  .  .  restaurant. 

tea  —  a  spacious  apartment  on  the  third  floor,  approached  by  an  imposing 
staircase.  Carved  dragons  amid  intricately  wrought  foliage  —  all  done  in 
ebony  —  formed  a  frieze  around  the  walls  ;  colored  lanterns  shed  a  soft  glow 
over  the  apartment,  which  was  reflected  back  from  the  gorgeous  scrolls  of 
golden  embroidery  on  the  walls.  The  chairs  and  tables  were  of  ebony, 
inlaid  with  pearl. 

"  This  tea,"  said  the  Growler,  balancing  one  of  the  delicate  little  cups, 
"  is  the  perfumed,  flowery  pekoe.  The  aroma  is  delicious." 

"So  is  the  flavor,"  said  the  Girl;  "but  what  is  this?" 

"Rice  cake,"  was  the  reply;  "and  these  are  'lichee'  nuts  in  this  saucer.   Fiowerypekoe 
Here's  a  confection  —  strips  of  cocoanut,  melon  rind  and  other  preserves  niinor  ev 
of  a  like  character.     I  confess  I'm  not  fond  of  them  myself." 

"With  due  notice  we  could  have  had  a  genuine  Chinese  banquet  here," 
said  the  Colonel,  "  the  bill  of  fare  would  have  doubtless  included  shark's 


176 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Epicurean 
possibilities 
not  realized. 


Nob  Hill  atid 
other  sightb. 


fins  and  bird-nest  soup,  pickled  eggs  and  spiced  duck  heads  direct  from 
China,  varnished  pig  and  a  few  other  delicacies  of  the  kind,  with  sweet- 
meats first  to  cloy  the  appetite  and  'sham  shu  '  or  rice  brandy  to  give 
piquancy  to  the  gastronomic  revelry." 

"  I  think  you  and  the  Growler  could  eat  anything,"  remarked  the  Girl ; 
"  but  as  for  me  I'm  too  tired  to  even  think,  and  I  propose  that  we  take  the 
shortest  way  to  get  to  bed." 

It  would  require  too  much  time  to  tell  all  we  saw  in  San  Francisco  —  the 
palatial  homes  of  the  millionaires  on  Nob  Hill,  the  mammoth  in  the 
Academy  of  Sciences,  the  Mint,  the  great  collection  of  the  State  Mining 
Bureau,  where  one  can  profitably  spend  hours;  the  theatres  and  gardens,  the 
Board  of  Trade  display,  etc.  We  went  down  one  day  to  see  the  starting  of 
a  China  steamer,  an  event  which  is  always  significant  and  interesting  to  the 
stranger.  There  is  all  the  ordinary  bustle  attendant  upon  such  an  occasion, 
and  in  addition  to  this  there  is  the  scramble  of  departing  Chinamen  to  get 
on  board.  They  must  have  their  identification  papers  examined  by  the 
custom's  officers,  who  sit  at  a  long  _^^ffSS'^^>_  table  and  inspect 
them  one  by  one.  Then 
they  run  the  gauntlet  of  the 
representa-  «. 
lives  of 


FISHERMAN'S  WHARF,  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


sailing  of  a  the  Six  Companies,  to  whom  they  exhibit  the  proofs  that  all  their  dues  are 
ier'  paid  and  that  they  owe  nothing  to  these  organizations,  which,  for  a  certain 
fixed  amount,  have  perhaps  defrayed  their  passage  out  here,  agreed  to  care 
for  them  if  ill  and  ship  their  bones  back  home  should  they  die  abroad. 
These  preliminaries  disposed  of  they  go  on  board,  preempt  a  bunk  in  the 
quarters  set  apart  for  them  and  prepare  for  the  long  voyage  ahead. 

And  before  we  left  the  city  we  "  did  "  Oakland  and  Berkeley  and  Alameda, 


A    LOOK   ABOUT   SAN    FRANCISCO. 


177 


and  visited  the  great  navy  yard  at  Mares  Island,  and  saw  where  the  iron   Mecca  of  the 
men-of-war  are  built  up  the  bay,  and  visited  the  fishermen's  dock  where  the 
luggers  lie  and  the  swarthy  fisher-folk   mend  their  nets  and  talk  in  the 
accent  of  many  tongues;  and        ^^sf!^-^~     :~;==^;^s-_    tnen     we     drove 
down  to  Fort  Mason  and    ^^-'  ^.^     the  Presidio, 

where  £|^     the  army 


ALCATRAZ,   WITH    SEAWARD    POINTED   GUNS. 


posts  are  situated,  with  coxy  homes  for  the  officers  and  comfortable  quarters 
for  the  men,  and  where  grim-visaged  War,  as  represented  by  frowning  para- 
pets and  big  black  guns,  is  hidden  under  the  green  of  shorn  lawns  and  the 
shade  of  many  trees. 

And  finally,  on  the  last  day  of  all,  when  the  Colonel  was  well  nigh  out 
of  patience  with  our  repeated  postponement  of  the  date  of  departure,  we 
took  a  sail  on  the  bay. 

"You  could  spread  Rhode  Island  down  in  San  Francisco  Bay  and  have 
plenty  of  room  left,"  said  the  Growler.  "It's  the  finest  harbor  in  the  country, 
with  an  admirable  entrance,  plenty  of  room  for  the  navies  of  the  world,  and 
depth  to  float  any  ship  and  leave  a  few  fathoms  under  her  keel.  Coming  in 
from  the  Golden  Gate  it  spreads  southward  to  within  a  few  miles  of  San 
Jose  and  Santa  Clara,  with  the  bay  cities  of  Oakland,  Alameda  and  Berkeley 
opposite  its  entrance,  occupying  there  a  portion  of  the  old  San  Antonio 
Rancho,  which  was  in  1820  granted  to  Luis  Maria  Peralta.  Northward  and 
eastward  it  stretches  off  into  San  Pablo  and  Suisun  bays,  with  hundreds  of 
miles  of  connecting  straits  and  rivers  all  about." 

From  the  Heads  we  came  down  through  the  Golden  Gate,  where  the  great 
modern  guns  were  being  mounted  on  an  eminence,  as  a  warning  to  hostile 


The  guardians 
of  the  harbor. 


The  panorama 
of  the  great 
bay. 


Sailing  in 
through  the 
Heads. 


178 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  bay 
extends  25 
miles  north 
and  40  miles 
south  of  the 
city,  and  has 
an  average 
width  of  8 
miles. 


Far  vistas 
beautified. 


The  vision  of  a 
land  that  flows 
with  milk  and 
honey. 


fleets,  should  such,  perchance,  approach  with  a  menace  to  the  safety  of  the 
city. 

As  we  sailed  swiftly  inward  the  wide  expanse  of  dancing  water  and  far- 
off  shore  unfolded  like  a  scroll.  Here  to  the  right  was  the  green  garden  of 
the  Presidio,  and  just  beyond  the  jutting  headland  of  Fort  Mason,  with  its 
vine-clad  cottages  perched  on  the  shrubbery-hung  cliff.  Beyond  the 
massed  buildings  with  their  cobwebby  network  of  cable  railways  climbing 
the  steep  incline.  Off  to  the  left  was  Sausalito  and  Tiburn  hiding  back  of 
Angel  Island,  with  tall  Mt.  Tamalpais  in  the  background.  Before  us  were 
the  grim  wave-girt  walls  of  Alcatraz,  with  seaward  pointed  guns.  The 
coloring  of  the  water  you  will  see  nowhere  else,  for  it  partakes  of  the 
wonderful  transparency  of  the  sunlight  and  the  opalescent  atmosphere  and 
the  azure  of  the  sky.  The  hues  drift  and  shade  into  each  other  continually, 
and  the  creamy  crestings  of  the  waves  are  but  a  satiny  frill  upon  the 
changeable  greens  and  blues  of  the  expanding  flood.  When  we  got  upon  a 
line  between  Alcatraz  and  Goat  Island  we  could  look  northward  to  where 
the  sister  bays  led  off  beyond  Red  Rock  and  San  Quentin  ;  across  to  the 
growing  centers  of  population  that  spread  toward  the  foot-hills  of  Mt. 
Diablo,  and  south  along  the  shining,  shimmering  pathway  flecked  by  white 
sails  and  skimming  gulls  that  soared  and  dipped  to  where  the  water  kissed 
the  sky  this  side  of  the  vast  Valley  of  the  Santa  Clara.  Around  us  were  ten 
thousand  happy  homes  that  nestled  among  the  foliage  of  perpetual  bloom  ; 
tall  city  spires  and  streets  that  ran  between  grim  blocks  of  brick  and  stone 
like  white  lanes ;  mountain  peaks  and  hill  tops  guarding  with  jealous  care 
the  sheltered  valleys  that  lay  within  their  strong  embrace  ;  and  the  soft 
breeze  that  blew — no  less  than  the  sunlight  that  was  over  and  about  us  — 
brought  to  mind  a  prophecy  of  the  olive  orchards  and  the  vine-clad  steeps, 
the  ripening  peach  and  orange  and  the  waving  fields  of  dimpling  grain,  that 
make  this  the  capital  of  what  to  the  elder  seer  athirst  upon  Judean  plains 
was  the  veritable  vision  of  the  land  that  flowed  with  milk  and  honey. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 


THE    VERY    MUCH    CONDENSED    NARRATIVE    OF    TWO    TRIPS    OUR    PARTY  MADE 

ON    SOUTHERN    PACIFIC    LINES    TO    PORTLAND,    OREGON, 

AND    SALT    LAKE,    UTAH. 


T 


HERE  is  a  poignant  grief  in  recalling  the  heartlessness  of  publishers  it  is  thus  the 

good  things 

who  inevitably  compel  struggling  authors  to  condense  or  eliminate  go. 


the  very  best  of  their  throbbing  thoughts.      Thus  the  narrator   finds  the 

limitations  of  his  space 
forcing  him  to  draw  his 
recital  of  a   transconti- 
nental journey  to  a  close 
and  tell  in  brief  of  the 
two  trips  our  party  made 
from  San  Fran- 
'  cisco    before 
starting  home — 
the  one  to  Port- 
land, O  r  egon, 
;;""*j     traveling 


slowly  over 
what      is" 
known    as    the  beauti- 
ful "Shasta  Route"— 
the  other  to  Ogden  and 
Salt   Lake  City  on  the 

Central  Pacific  division.      CLIMBING  THE  SISKIYOUS. 

We  got  away  from  San 
Francisco  on  the  evening  train,  and  while  we  slept  were  hurried  up  through 
the  great  Valley  of  the  Sacramento,  through  the  capital  of  the  state,  and  by 


HEADWATERS  OF  THE  SACRAMENTO. 


180 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


From  San 
Francisco  to 
Sacramento, 
the  distance  is    i 

90  miles.  be  grown. 


There  is  plenty 
to  be  seen  all 
the  way. 


The  glory  of 
the  upper 
Sacramento 
River. 


The  railroad 
crosses  it 
eighteen  times. 


many  thrifty  cities  and  towns.  Here  there  are  immense  grain  fields,  luxuri- 
ant orchards  and  vineyards  where  the  world's  wine  supply  will  some  day 
Marysville  is  the  center  of  great  hydraulic  mining  enterprises, 
whereby  hills  were  torn  down  and  washed  away  to  get  at  their  gold;  Chico, 
where  General  Bidwell's  _^— — _____extensive  orchards  demon- 
strate the  possibilities^  """"""-x^that  await  the  fruit 
grower;  Red  ^^  ^X^Bluff,  where 
lumber  ^m  llkv  is  floated 


MX.  SHASTA,    FROM    SISSON. 

from  the  distant  mountain  sides  to  meet  the  needs  of  commerce,  and  a 
score  of  other  points  well  worth  seeing,  until  at  Redding  we  got  up  to  find 
the  Sacramento  River  winding  close  to  the  track.  Now  for  eighty  miles 
the  scenery  was  a  perpetual  delight.  About  us  were  the  Shasta  and  Mc- 
Cloud  mountains  and  the  road  follows  a  narrow  rift  that  winds  deviously 
through  them.  Always  the  Sacramento  is  alongside — now  on  the  right 
hand  and  now  on  the  left — a  stream  of  infinite  beauty.  It  is  a  mad  moun- 
tain torrent  that  grows  wilder  and  more  impetuous  as  you  near 'its  head- 
waters far  up  toward  the  timber-line  of  Shasta.  Over  its  rocky  bed,  ob- 
structed by  massive  black  bowlders,  it  churns  itself  into  foam.  It  dashes 
furiously  against  granite  walls  that  impede  its  progress,  or  swirls  in  green 
eddies  beneath  the  protecting  flanks  of  cliffs  where  deep  pools  invite  the 
angler  to  the  finest  trout  fishing.  The  road  crosses  and  recrosses  it 
eighteen  times  in  all  before  we  finally  leave  it  far  up  in  the  higher  ranges. 

"  There  are  ragged  peaks  for  you!  "  I  said,  as  the  train  stopped. 

"  And  look  at  that  green  dell,  and  the  beautiful  house  ! "  said  the  Girl. 


TRIP   TO    PORTLAND,   OREGON. 


181 


"Castle  Crags  —  a  naked  ridge  of  granite,"  remarked  the  Growler.  TheCastie 
"That  far  high  peak  is  6,100  feet  high  and  it  towers  more  than  4,000  feet 
above  the  river  bed.  The  Crags  belong  to  the  Trinity  Range,  a  spur  of  the 
Sierra  Nevadas,  and  the  dividing  line  between  Shasta  and  Siskiyou  counties 
crosses  them.  Col.  Hastings  was  the  first  owner  of  Soda  Springs  ranche 
back  in  1844.  Since  then  the  Indians  and  miners  and  hardy  trappers  have 
had  their  day,  and  there  have  been  bloody  battles  and  ambuscades  and 
solitary  duels  that  the  world  will  never  know  of.  Now  the  tavern  of  Castle 
Crags  invites  the  dilettante  to  spend  his  hours  of  idleness  here,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  finest  hunting  and  fishing  to  be  found  anywhere  and  the 
revelry  of  a  climate  unsurpassed.  And  now  for  the  Soda  Springs." 

It  would  be  a  thankless  task  to  attempt  a  description  of  Mossbrae  Falls   Mossbrae  Fails 
and  Shasta  Soda  Springs.     Imagine  a  great  mountain  canon  with  pine  clad   !£da  springs, 
sides  that  reach  hundreds  on  hundreds  of  feet  above  your  head.     At  the  left 
the  dashing  river — on  your  right  a  sheet  of  water  that  pours  across  the  face 
of  a  cliff  hung  with  the  green  tendrils  of  dense  moss.     And  a  little  way 
beyond  are  the  Soda  Springs  —  the  sharp  hillside 
broken  by  rills  that  toss  madly  down  from  far 


CASTLE  CRAGS   AND   SHASTA   LILIES.  _,..jp 

heights,  while  in  places  jets  of  water 
spout  up  eighty  or  a  hundred  feet  and  fall  in  plume-like  showers  of  glisten- 
ing spray. 

"  It  isn't  really  soda  water  ? "  the  Girl  asked,  incredulously. 

"Get  out  and  see,"  replied  the  Growler,  and  we  did,  drinking  deep  from  carbonated 
the  stone-walled  spring  under  the  pavilion.       The   pure   carbonated    and   thateyouf«iy. 
ferruginous  water  was  as  cold  as  though  it  flowed  from  the  icy  heart  of  the 
mountain. 

"I  think  this  is  the  most  beautiful  spot  on  earth,"  said  the  Colonel,  as 


182 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  climb  to 
Shasta's 
•widespread 
base. 


AtSisson  the 
best  view  is  to 
be  had. 


there    is 
upon  the 


we  walked  slowly  back  to  the  train.  "There  is  every  element  that  could 
add  charm  to  the  landscape.  Four  and  a  half  miles  from  here,  at  eigh- 
teenth crossing,  we  will  part  company  with  the  Sacramento.  The  elevation 

2,818    feet,    and    we    enter 
mountain  climb  in  earnest." 
did.   The  road  swings  about 
bend  and  runs  for  five  and  a 
to  reach  the  next  station — 
In    this    distance   we    have 
five  hundred  and  thirty  feet. 
The  scenery  is  impress- 
ive. Through  black  tun- 
nels the  way  winds, 
now  on .  the  edge 
of  dizzy  gorges, 
where    far    below 
the    deep     canon 
yawns.   The  grade 
is  two  and  a  half 
feet    to  the  hun- 
dred, and  grows 
even  steeper  be- 
fore you  drop  into 
the  valleys  of  Ore- 
gon that  await  you. 
The    building   of 
the   road    through 
this   colossal   bar- 
rier was  a  vast  un- 
dertaking, deemed 
an  engineering 
and    financial    im- 
possibility   for   a 
longtime.   But  the 

SHASTA   SODA    SPRINGS  AND    MOSSBRAK    FALLS.  tWO  pOWCrflll   lOCO- 

motives  draw  us  steadily  upward  until  at  Sisson  the  great  view  of  Shasta 
breaks  upon  us  in  all  its  majesty.  Fourteen  thousand  four  hundred  and 
forty  feet  it  lifts  itself,  the  vast  old  volcanic  pile.  At  its  base  the  dense 
chapparel  clusters  with  spruce  and  pine  and  cedar,  sentinel-like,  towering 
above  the  lower  growth.  Then  come  the  firs,  the  stunted  tree  stalks  and 
the  scant  litchen  that  encroach  upon  the  bald  peak.  Above,  about  the 
great  extinct  crater,  the  crown  of  snow  lies  glowing  in  the  sunlight. 


half  miles 
McCloud. 
climbed 


TRIP  TO  PORTLAND,  OREGON. 


183 


The  longest  observed  lines  in  the  world  were  taken  from  the  summit  of   Baseofiongest 

.  ......  geodetic  line 

Shasta  to  connect  the  lines  of  the  main  tnangulation,  of  the  coast  and  in  the  world, 
geodetic  surveys — from  Mt.  Shasta  to  Mt.  St.  Helena,  one  hundred  and 
ninety  miles  as  the  crow  flies.  On  the  summit  Capt.  A.  F.  Rodgers  set  up 
the  geodetic  monument  twenty  years  ago — an  iron  column  carried  up  in 
sections  on  the  backs  of  Indians.  It  is  from  Sisson  that  parties  start  to 
make  the  ascent  of  Shasta.  In  talking  about  the  feat,  the  Growler  said: 

"The  trail  is  up  through  the  great  lava  trough  off  there  on  the  right.    HOW  the  ascent 
The  distance  from  snow  or  timber  line  to  Thumb  Rock  (a  sharp  projection 
on  the  crest  of  the  south  flank  of  the  mountain)  is  between  four  and  five 


is  made. 


NORTH    FORK    CASCADE,    ON   THK   SHASTA    ROUTE. 


from 


miles  ;  from  Thumb  Rock  to  the  summit,  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
there  to  Shastina  or  Crater  Peak  on  the  north,  say  a  mile  and  a  half. 

"  A  relic  of  the  ancient  volcanic  fires  is  to  be  found  a  few  hundred  feet 
below  the  main  summit,  in  the  shape  of  a  hot  steam  solfatara.  The  ascent 
is  not  dangerous,  and  to  persons  in  sound  health  and  possessing  will-power 
not  very  difficult ;  yet  quite  a  large  percentage  of  starters  never  reach  the 
highest  point,  the  reason,  no  doubt,  being  that  the  sensations  produced  by 
severe  exercise  in  high  altitudes  are  sometimes  alarming.  The  general  rule 
is  to  leave  Sisson  about  noon,  or  in  time  to  reach  the  upper  camp  by 
nightfall,  to  which  point  there  is  a  good  saddle  trail.  An  early  start  is 
made  the  following  morning,  while  the  snow  crust  is  strong,  and  after  from 
six  to  eight  hours  of  tramping,  the  summit  is  reached.  The  view  from  the 
crown,  it  is  needless  to  observe,  is  one  of  boundless  sublimity:  the  Modoc 


Relic  of  the 
old  volcanic 
fires. 


The  panorama 
from  the  top. 


184 


THROUGH    STORYLAND    TO    SUNSET    SEAS. 


Mountain  tops 
like  tents  all 
about. 


The  beauties 
of  the 

Siskiyous. 


lava  beds,  the  giants  of  the  Southern  Cascade  Range,  the  Siskiyou,  Salmon 
and  Scott  ranges,  Castle  Crags  and  the  deep  gorge  of  the  Sacramento, 
Lassen's  Peak  and  the  receding  snowy  shafts  of  the  Sierra  on  the  south, 
and  on  the  east  a  far-reaching  panorama  of  mountain,  lake  and  forest. 
The  eye  is  gorged  with  visions  of  grandeur  and  magnificence.  The  time 
to  climb  the  old  peak  is  from  the  first  of  June  to  the  last  of  September." 

All  the  way  down  the  long  plateau  of  Strawberry  Valley  we  watched  the 
great  pinnacle  whose  majestic  summit  was  eleven  thousand  feet  above  us. 
Off  to  the  west  were  the  Scott  Mountains  whose  main  cloud  cap  gives  birth  to 
three  rivers.  To  the  north  is  Black  Butte  or  Muir's  Peak.  In  the  south- 
west the  serrated  columns  of  Castle  Crags  rise  above  their  setting  of  pine. 

On  the  Siskiyous  the  grade  reaches  one  hundred  and  seventy-four  feet 
to  the  mile,  and  from  Gregory  to  Ashland  is  a  continuous  succession  of 
awe-inspiring  pictures.  Up  and  ^-  •—  „  up  the  road 

climbs   to  the  summit,   and        /  ^^fer-   then  it  creeps 

sinuously  down  the  great      /v  slopes, 

turning  on 
itself 


Ten  pounds  of 
air  on  the 

brakes. 


again  until  you  look  from  your        •J^5$w|  Pl^^         window  to  see 

three  lines  of  rails  on  successive  LOOKING  INTO  ROGUE  RIVER  VAL-  steps   of  the 

.    ,  LEY  FROM   THE  SISKIYOUS.  .      , 

mountain  side  below.     There  are  wide    chasms 

spanned  by  trestles,  from  whose  clear  heights  one  looks  off  over  the  tops 
of  tall  pines  to  the  Valley  of  the  Rogue  River  spread  beneath.  When  the  train 
stops  at  Ashland  and  one  of  the  engines  is  detached,  inspectors  tap  the  car- 
wheels  and  feel  them  furtively,  while  the  engineer,  in  his  blue  overalls,  says: 
"  It  takes  ten  pounds  of  air  on  the  brakes  comin'  down  there,  and  some- 
times the  wheels  are  red-hot  when  we  get  to  the  bottom." 


TRIP  TO  PORTLAND,  OREGON. 


185 


"There  are  many  tempting  things  about  Rogue  River  Valley,"  said  the 
Colonel.  "It  is  not  only  a  sheltered  and  fertile  garden  spot,  but  it  has 
natural  wonders  singular  to  it.  Of  course  you  know  that  it  was  up  in  the 


WILLIAMETTE   FALLS,   OREGON. 


north  end  of  it  that  'Old  Joe  Lane'  fought  the  Indians  and  pretty  nearly   in  the  Rogue 

.  River  Valley. 

wiped  them  out.     From  Medford  you  can  reach  by  team  Crater  Lake,  lying 
on  the  summit  of  the 


Cascade  Range 
Here    is  a 


PORTLAND   AND   ITS  SNOW-CLAD  SENTINEL. 


great  cup  hollowed  out  of  the  primeval  rock,  eight  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  It  is  twenty  miles  in  circumference  and  a  mile  deep,  and  is 
half  full  of  the  purest  water  you  ever  saw.  The  walls  of  rock  rise  to  a  sheer 
height  of  from  one  to  two  thousand  feet  above  the  surface.  The  Klamath 


TRIP   TO    PORTLAND,    OREGON. 


187 


Indians  have  a  superstition  that  no  member  of  their  tribe  can  look  upon  this 
lake  and  live." 

Through  the  Umpqua  and  Calapooya  mountains  into  the  Valley  of  the 
Williamette,  down  which  stream  we  follow — past  Oregon  City,  where  the 
wide  white  fall  of  tumbling  water  charms  us,  and  at  last  into  Portland  we 

steam  —  Portland, 
with  its  mountain-set- 
ting and  its  near-by 
Columbia  that  rolls 
majestically  to  the 
sea,  capable  of  carry- 
ing any  commerce  on 
its  broad  bosom,  and 
hiding  in  its  depths 
the  vast  wealth  of  the 
salmon  fisheries.  Hu- 
man vision  never  rest- 
ed on  a  fairer  spot  for 
a  city — a  plateau  be- 
side the  Williamette, 
where  the  great  busi- 
ness center  stands, 
with  its  perpetual  tes- 
timony of  wealth  and 
enterprise,  and  rising 
into  the  thorough- 
fares of  homes  that 
climb  to  the  overlook- 
ing heights.  Off  in 
the  distance  three 
snow-clad  peaks  raise 
their  wide-famed 
brows  dauntlessly — 
Mt.  St.  Helen,  Mt. 
Adams  and  Mt. 
Ranier.  From  here  the  Southern  Pacific  tourist  may  easily  run  over  to  Taco- 
ma  and  Seattle,  the  twin  emporiums  that  stand  guard  over  Puget  Sound,  there 
to  take  a  steamer  voyage  of  a  night  over  the  most  entrancing  of  waters  to  Vic- 
toria and  Vancouver,  to  tread  the  soil  of  Her  Britannic  Majesty.  Or  he  can 
find  near  by  Portland  enough  of  sight-seeing  to  occupy  many  days — on  the 
Columbia  River,  which  for  sixty  miles  above,  to  the  Dalles,  runs  through 
colossal  cliffs  that  dwarf  the  Palisades  of  the  Hudson  into  insignificance  ; 
where  waterfalls  eight  hundred  feet  high  toss  their  milky  veils  into  the  air ; 


MAIDEN   HAIR   FALLS,   NEAR   PORTLAND,   OREGON. 


By  the 
Williamette 
into  Portland. 


Where  the  city 
is  built. 


The  Sound 
Country 
invites  one. 


Up  and 
down  the 
Wonderland  of 
the  Columbia. 


188 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET    SEAS. 


The  833  mile 
trip  from  San 
Francisco  to 
Ogden. 


In  the  warm 
valleys 
sheltered  by 
the  Sierras 


where  islands  of  curious  form  rise,  pine-begirt,  from  the  swift,  broad  river ; 
seeing  the  salmon  fishers,  whose  slow  wheels  compel  the  river  current  to  do 
their  work.  Or  on  the  lower  reaches  toward  Astoria  he  can  visit  the  great 
canneries  and  see  the  fleet  of  fisher-boats  that  sail  out  across  the  treacherous 
bar  to  make  capture  of  the  silver-armored  fish. 

Nor  was  our  trip  to  Ogden  and  Salt  Lake  a  whit  less  filled  with  vivid 
interest  and  the  novelty  of  new  sensations  awakened  by  the  changing  scenes 

upon  the  way.     The 
building  of  this  line 
in  1 863-9  completed 
the  first  of  the  great 
transcontinental 
railways,  made  pos- 
sible the  vast  de- 
velopment of  the 
Pacific    Coast, 


STREET   SCENE   AND   PUBLIC   BUILDINGS   IN 
OGDEN,    UTAH. 


and  awakened  new  inspiration 
throughout  the  nation.  The  march 
of  empire  took  its  way  across  the 
inland  realm,  which  Lewis  and  Clark  and  Bonneville  and  the  argonauts  of 
'49  had  found  so  strange  and  terrible. 

In  the  warm  valleys  beyond  Sacramento  the  orchards  of  olive  and 
orange  sleep,  with  every  fruit  and  flower  of  the  Mediterranean  zone  finding 
a  congenial  home,  while  but  a  little  way  beyond  the  pine-clad  Sierras  are 
dotted  by  crystal  lakes.  At  Bucklin  we  are  two  hundred  and  forty-nine 
feet  above  the  sea,  and  now  the  road  begins  its  ascent  of  the  mountains, 
for  the  elevation  rises  swiftly  until  at  Summit,  one  hundred  and  ninety-five 


TO  OGDEN  AND  SALT  LAKK. 


189 


miles  from  San  Francisco,  we  are  seven  thousand  and  seventeen  feet  above 
tide  water.     Off  from  Colfax  one  may  take  the  narrow  gauge  into  Grass  Val- 
ley and  Nevada  City,  where  deep  mining  can   best  be  seen  and  where  the 
rich  quartz  ledges  seem  inexhaustible.     Between   Colfax  and  Cisco,   thirty- 
eight  miles,  the    ascent  is   thirty-five    hundred    and   twelve  feet.     Whirling  The  snow 
through  the  snow  sheds,  catching  glimpses  of  Donner  Lake,  lying  like  a  great   DonnefsLake. 
sapphire  in  its  pine  setting  among  the  clustering  crags.     At  the  summit  we 
got  out  to  have  a  snow-balling  bout  in  the  tunnel-like  sheds. 

At  Truckee,  the  Growler  said  : 

"This  is  the  favorite  point  of  departure  for  fishermen  who  seek  Donner,   The 

sportsman's 

Tahoe,  Webber  and  the  other  lakes,  or  the  innumerable  trout  streams  within   paradise. 
a  radius  of  a  few  miles.     You  should  eat  these  trout,  fresh  from  their  cold 
element,  broiled  in  camp  style,  to  know  what  a  fish  can  taste  like." 

Then  the  road  begins  its  long  descent  of  the  mountains,  with  the  serene 
handiwork  of  the  Creator  all  about — the  great  buttresses  of  rock  carved  in 
every  fantastic  shape — the  fir-clothed  steeps  whose  bold  heads  are  lost  in 
the  clouds,  the  mountain  streams  that  swirl  and  eddy  madly  beside  the 
track  or  are  lost  like  metallic  threads  at  the  bottom  of  profound  abysses  in 
canons  into  whose  precipitous  depths  you  look  for  a 

fleeting       sf  instant  as 

the 


tram 


goes  by.  At  Reno  you  feel  as  tho'  you  had  reached  the  lowlands  again,  but 
the  elevation  is  forty-fourhundred  and  ninety-seven  feet,  and  the  great  plateau 
varies  little  from  this  for  six  hundred  miles — until  you  reach  the  end  of  the 
road  at  Ogden.  Reno  is  the  thriftiest  city  in  Nevada'.  The  commercial  me-  Reno,  Nevada, 

and  the 

tropolis — made  beautiful  by  the  Truckee  River  that  divides  the  town — the   Truckee 
loveliest  stream  upon  the  continent,  if  we  except  only  the  upper  Sacramento. 
"There's  another  thing  we  can't  afford  to  miss,  but  must,"  said  the 


TRIP   TO    PORTLAND,    OREGON. 


191 


Lode. 


Colonel.  "The  trip  to  Carson  and  the  great  Bonanza  mines  upon  the  famous  Thebigmines 
Comstock  Lode  at  Gold  Hill  and  Virginia  City."  comltock 

"  Is  this  the  point  of  departure  ?"  I  inquired. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply.     "It  is  only  a  run  of  a  few 
country  the  like  of  which  you  will  never  see  elsewhere. 


hours  through  a 
Toward  the  end 
of  the  line,  at 
Virginia    City, 
the  road  winds 
about     the 
mountain 
•-•>        tops,  on 
Yt    some  of 


heaviest 
grades 
known, 
until  you  look1 

Upon  the  great  LAKES  TAHOE  AND  DONNER. 

'Camps'  which  have,  in  something  like  thirty  years,  added  four  hundred  mil- 
lion dollars  in  gold  and  silver  to  the  wealth  of  the  world.   To  make  the  descent  The 

underground 

into  one  of  these   mines,  dropping,   say  eighteen   hundred   feet — tho'  some   world,  where 

the  precious 

have  been  worked  as  deep  as  thirty-three  hundred  feet — and  then  explore  a  metaishide. 
part  of  the  vast  underground  city  which  has  been  excavated,  the  galleries 
where  the  heat  is  so  intense  that  men  could  not  work  in  them  but  for  the 
constant  supply  of  air  pumped  in  under  great  pressure  ;  the  Sutro  tunnel 
that  pierces  the  mountains  for  a  distance  of  five  miles  to  drain  the  mines, 
labyrinthine  passages  which  lead  forbiddingly  in  every  direction — is  indeed 
an  experience  never  to  be  forgotten,  but  one  made  wholly  agreeable  by  the 
courtesy  of  all  you  meet." 

•    '    There  were  picturesquely  dressed  but  sore-eyed  Indians  at  Reno,  and   Piutesand 
from  now  on  a  little  group  of  them  appeared  at  each  station  almost — the  privileges. 


19* 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 


God's 


of  the 
Hurnboldt. 


The  City  of 
the  Saints  by 
the  Dead  Sea 
of  Utah. 


old  crones  begging,  the  men  standing  about  with  an  expression  of  stolid 
indifference.  They  ride  without  money  and  without  price  on  the  trains  of 
the  Central  Pacific,  confining  themselves  to  flat  cars  or  the  platforms  of 
passenger  coaches,  however.  Wadsworth  is  the  point  of  departure  for  the 
Pyramid  Lake  region,  and  beyond  this  the  great  sage  brush  desert  reaches  out. 
On  the  gray  hills  juniper  grows,  but  it  disappears  as  you  get  farther  east- 
ward. There  is  plenty  to  attract  attention,  however — the  sink  of  the  Hum- 
boldt  River  where  it  loses  itself  in  the  desert  sands;  the  lake  of  the  same  name, 
lying  in  a  region  which  once,  science  declares,  was  made  fertile  by  copious 
rains  after  the  great  sea  that  covered  it  had  subsided  ;  the  sharp  hewn  hills 
of  blue,  and  the  clear  high  table-lands,  until  Ogden  is  reached,  with  its  stir  of 
metropolitan  life,  and  but  a  few  miles  beyond,  Salt  Lake  City,  near  by  the 
Dead  Sea  of  America. 

Here  the  traveler  finds  much  to  interest.  He  wants  to  see  the  Bee  Hive 
house  and  -the  grave  of  Brigham  Young,  the  great  Salt  Lake  itself,  the 
splendid  temple  with  its  airy  angel  on  the  topmost  pinnacle,  the  tabernacle 
where  the  thousands  of  Latter  Day  Saints  congregate  to  hear  their  laws 
expounded,  and  the  huge  choir  sing;  ^^***"BI-HB*IBl*^nta^  the  govern- 
mentpostupontheoverlooking  ^^^  ^^^^  hill,  and, 

above  all,  the  city  itself,  with    ^r  ^^    its  one 


hundred  and 

thirty-two-foot  wide  streets, 
shaded  with  swaying  trees 
and  flanked  by  flowing  water 
brought  hither  from  its  far- 
off  sources  in  the  hills.  It  is  a  city  with  every  modern  charm  set  down  in  what 
was  a  desert  when  Brigham  Young  and  his  enthusiasts  came  upon  it  in  their 
pilgrimage,  and  one  who  looks  upon  it  has  a  startling  awakening  as  to  what 
courage  and  labor  can  accomplish  upon  these  great  plains  of  our  arid  region. 


PALISADES   OF    THE    HUMBOLDT. 


CHAPTER   XXH. 

DOWN    THE    COAST    LINE    TO    SANTA    BARBARA,   WITH    SIDE    TRIPS   TO    MT. 

HAMILTON,   THE    BIG    TREES,    SANTA  CRUZ,    DEL  MONTE 

AND    OTHER    POINTS    ON    THE    WAY. 


w 


HEN  we  turned  our  faces  homeward  after  weeks  of  wandering,  we   Down  the 
took  the  Coast  line  of  the  Southern  Pacific.     "You  have  seen  the 


garden  and  the  granary  of  the  world  in  our  tour  through  California,"  said 
the  Colonel;  "now  you  will  get  a  glimpse  of  Elysium.  The  Coast  division 
runs  through  a  section  which  to  California  is  what  the  rest  of  the  state  is  to 
the  blizzard-haunted  Dakotas.  It's  a  little  nearer  perfection  than  any  other 
portion  of  the  slope." 

"  Every  body  talks  so  much  about  the  great  hotels  that  I  don't  believe 
there's  a  thing  to  be  seen  all  the  way  down  to  Saugus  but  big  resorts,"  said 
the  Girl,  saucily. 

"Wait  and  see,"  replied  the  Growler,  and  straightway  relapsed  into 
silence. 

The  Southern  Pacific's  Coast  division  is  the  only  road  having  a  depot  Through  the 

,.  .  •  ^          r    ^          T-  •  o-r  environs  of 

and  running  directly  into  the  city  of  ban  trancisco.  Starting  from  the  the  city. 
Townsend  Street  station  the  train  winds  out  through  the  city  and  over  the 
low  hills,  which,  rib-like,  jut  across  the  isthmus.  We  pass  the  great  ceme- 
teries, wisely  set  well  out  from  the  tenements  of  the  living,  and  presently 
are  in  the  Santa  Clara  Valley,  passing  suburban  towns,  where  handsome 
residences,  hidden  in  great  clumps  of  foliage,  suggest  how  affluence  has 
added  art  and  luxury  to  the  comforts  of  the  country. 

"There  is  a  beautiful  drive  which  one  can  take,  starting  say  from  San   Meniopart 
Mateo  or  Menlo  Park,"  remarked  the  Colonel,  "and  leading  through  the  itonaire*. 
loveliest  of  highways  past  the   houses  of  some  of  the  great  millionaires 
They  have  been  generous  in  expending  their  millions  upon  their  homes  and 
in  the  grounds  about  them,  and  have  carried  the  art  of  the  landscape  gar- 
dener to  its  highest  perfection. 

"The  Spring  Valley  Water  Works,   located  in  this  county,   supply   the   A  dam  that 
greater  portion  of  the  water  consumed  in  San  Francisco,  and  the  dam  which 
holds  the  gathered  stock  is  one  of  the  remarkable  things  of  the  kind  in  the 
world — two  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet  high." 

Just  beyond    here,   at   Mayfield,    is  the  Stanford    University,   with   an 

193 


194 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


The  Stanford 
^Diversity. 


endowment  of  twenty  million  dollars  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leland  Stanford. 
Created  but  a  few  years  ago,  it  already  ranks  as  one  of  the  foremost  schools 
of  the  world,  and  in  no  essential  other  than  its  architec- 

ture does  it  differ  from  any  great 
institution  of  learning.    The 
buildings    conform    to    the 
climatic  conditions> 
and    are   ar- 
ranged  with 
a  view  to 
indefinite 


SEAT.    ROCKS   AND   BEACH 


expansion. 
They  are  of 
gray  stone, 
massive, 
mostly  one 
story,  with 

tile  roofs,  and  wholly  harmonious  in  design  and  the  details  of  construction. 
"  To  me  this  is  the  jewel  of  the  whole  coast,"  said  the  Colonel,  that  even- 
ing, as  we  sat  upon  the  broad  veranda  of  the  sumptuous  flower-begirdled 
Besureand        Vendome  in   San   Jose.     "I  know  no  lovelier  place  than  this  to  which  the 

pronounce  this     _  .,  ...  _  ......... 

'San  Ho-say."  bpamsh  soldiers  first  came  with  their  families  as  a  protection  to  the  Santa 
Clara  Mission  in  1777.  Subsequent  generations  have  confirmed  the  good 
taste  of  those  first  settlers  and  have  built  here  a  city  distinguished  for  its 
costly  and  imposing  public  and  private  buildings.  The  people  who  live 
here  like  to  call  this  the  'Athens  of  the  Pacific  Coast,'  because  it  is  the  seat 
of  so  many  places  of  learning,  but  I  like  it  for  the  activity  of  its  business 
life,  the  charm  of  its  shaded  and  well  kept  streets  and  for  the  beauty  of  all 
its  environments.  Off  there  a  few  miles  is  the  richest  quicksilver  mine  in 
the  world,  the  famous  Almeden.  The  level  valley  and  the  foot-hills  which 


The  Valley  of 
the  Santa 
Clara. 


DOWN  THE  COAST  LINE  TO   SANTA  BARBARA. 


195 


rise  upon  either  side  are  the  homes  of  the  contented  fruit-grower  and 
farmer,  who  find  them  inexpressibly  productive." 

"For  a  little  while  after  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  of  1849  San  Jose 
was  the  capital  of  the  state,"  spoke  the  Growler,  reminiscently,  "and  it  has 
kept  on  growing  ever  since  with  no  apparent  regret  that  Sacramento  won 
its  statesmen  away  from  it." 

At  seven  o'clock  the  next  morning  we  were  off  to  Mt.  Hamilton  and  the 
Lick  Observatory.  F.  H.  Ross,  Sr.,  was  there  himself  to  see  the  passengers  of 
his  stage  line  get  under  way.  And  Frank  Ross,  Jr.,  was  there,  too.  Every- 
body who  visits  Mt.  Hamilton — and  everybody  who  visits  San  Jose  does — 
knows  the  Ross  family,  and  it  is  wonderful  how  their  courtesy  and  care  has 
impressed  itself  upon  those  who  have  made  that  ideal  journey.  Well,  they 
bundled  us  into  the  long,  comfortable  stage,  gave  a  few  parting  instructions 
to  the  driver  "  to  be  sure  and  point  out"  such  and  such  a  feature,  of  the  way- 
side. The  grizzled  Jehu  nods  a  gruff  but  kindly  promise  to  care  for  us, 
cracks  his  long  whip  over  the  heads  of  the  leaders,  and  we  are  off.  Now 
we  rattle  through  the  streets,  down  miles  of  shady  avenue  on  Alum  Rock 
Highway  and  then  into  the  foothills,  up  which  we  wind  amid  orchards  and 
vineyards  until  at  Grand  View  House  the  panorama  of  the  Santa  Clara 


Valley  is  laid  before 

Growler 

held  his 

"Off 

tains,  and 
Sierra    MO- 


BIT  OF  STANFORD  UNIVERSITY  ARCHITECTURE. 


Mt.  Hamilton 
and  Lick 
Observatory 


Stage  ride 
across  the 
ranges. 


us.     The  Girl  was  in  ecstacies.  the 
complacent,  and  the  Colonel,  as  he 
hat  in  his  hand,  said  : 
there    are    the    Gavilan    Moun- 
there  the  Santa  Cruz  and  there  the 
rena.    That  silvery  sheen  far  off  is 
San  Francisco  Bay." 

Below  us-  the  valley 
lay  like  a  vast  checker- 
board with  the  city  in 
the  middle  distance — 
the  deep  brown  of  the  new 
plowed  fields  harmonizing  with 
the  vivid  greens  of  the  expanses 
where  young  grain  waved  and 
with  the  darker  shadings  of 
the  budding  orchards.  Then 
the  road  wound  down  into 
Hall's  Valley,  up  again  around  Cape  Horn  and  into  Santa  Ysabel  Canon. 
Then  the  seven  mile  climb  of  Mt.  Hamilton  begins.  More  than  three 
hundred  times  the  road  turns  upon  itself — winding  now  on  the  brink  of  great 
gorges,  and  again  zig-zagging  through  narrow  canons  or  on  the  wide  shelf 
of  sloping  hillsides  beneath  which  the  landscape  unrolls  and  the  eye  looks 


The  view  of 
the  valley 
below. 


196 


THROUGH   STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Like  a  bit  of 
some  other 
sphere. 


Things  that 
one  recalls. 


off  over  the  valley  and  woodland  and  low-lying  pasture  with  the  great  white 
dome  above,  seemingly  as  evanescent  and  unreachable  as  the  pot  of  gold  at 
the  end  of  the  rainbow.  At  last  we  are  at  the  summit,  beside  the  world- 
known  institution  which  that  stolid,  reserved  man,  James  Lick,  created  by 

his  bequest 
of  seven 
hundred 
t  h  ousand 
dollars. 

"  There's 
something 
uncanny 
about  all 
this,"  said 
the  Girl, 
\v  h  e  n  the 
courteous 
guide  had 


through, 

and  we  stood 

again    upon 

the  wide  portico 

in  front  of  the  main 

building.      "It    don't 

seem  as  tho' it  really  belonged 

to  the  earth  and  was  of  things  earthly."  ON  THE  ROAD  T0  THE  LICK  OBSERVATORY. 

"I  feel  like  a  boy  who  has  had  a  hard  lesson  at  school,"  I  replied.  "  I 
remember  that  the  dome  containing  the  great  thirty-six-inch  equatorial  has  a 
diameter  of  seventy-five  feet  and  weighs  a  hundred  and  thirty  tons;  that  it, 
like  the  great  fifty-six  foot  telescope  could  be  moved  by  a  child.  I  can 
recall  how  the  earthquake  register  works,  and  something  about  the  meridian 
circle,  the  photographic  telescope,  and  even  have  a  faint  recollection  of  the 
horizontal  photo-heliograph,  but  that's  absolutely  the  limit." 


SANTA   CRUZ. 


197 


"  But  none  of   us   will  forget   the    tomb  of  James   Lick,"    replied  the  The 
Colonel.     "  As  I  stood  before  the  simple  slab  that  covered  the  mausoleum  JJS 
in  the  base  of  the  great  telescope  where  his  ashes  sleep,  I  felt  that  nobler 
burial  or  greater  monument  could  no  man  have,  and  that  the  kings  of  earth 
might  envy  the  shrewd  old  miller  who  had  builded  for  himself  a  tomb  so 
noble." 

The  next  morning  we  took  the  narrow  gauge  to  Santa  Cruz.     The  ride 


THE  CANON   OF  THE   SAN   LORENZO  RIVER,    CALIFORNIA. 


is  one  which  rivals  anything  upon  the  Shasta  division   or  over  the   Sierras, 
for  tho'  the  mountain  groups  are  not  so  massive  the  effects  are  equally  fine. 
The  line  follows  a  mountain  gorge   so  deep  and  sinuous  and  narrow  that 
there  is  just  room  for  the  roadway  and  a  brawling  brook  that  boisterously 
disputes  every  inch  of  the  way.     At  the  big  trees  we  left  the  train  to  drive  To  the  big 
over  with  M.  C.  Hopkins,  the  tourist  stage  man  of  Santa  Cruz,  who  awaited   samn  cm- 
us.     One  spends  an  hour,  with  admiration  that  merges  into  wonder,  in  the 
great  grove  of  Powder  Hill  Canon,  where  the  sequois  sempervirens  grow. 
These  colossal  forest  giants  that  spring  three  hundred  feet  skyward,  and 
measure  sometimes  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  awe  one.     There  is  a  reveren- 
tial silence  that  steals  upon  the  consciousness  like  the  recollection  of  the 
lullaby  your  mother  crooned  in  the  eventides  of  long  ago,  and  one  feels  that, 
indeed,  these  were  the  trees  among  which  God's  first  temples  were.     Then   Down  the 
the    six-mile  drive  to  Santa  Cruz  is  one  of   infinite  delight.     The  way  is  San  Lorenzo 
through  the  Canon  of  the  San  Lorenzo  River.     Hundreds  of  feet  below  the 
river  dashes — a  white  ribbon,    foam-flecked  and   mad  with   the  revelry  of 


198 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO    SUNSET   SEAS. 


Early  Spanish 
visitors  made 
note  of  it. 


Shore-line 
sketches. 


near-by  commingling  with   the   sea.     On   each  side  the  sheer  cliffs  rise,  or 
pine- clad  slopes  that  seem  too  steep  for  mountain  goat  to  climb. 

When  Juan  Cabrillo  came  in  1542,  he  noted  the  wooded  mountains  that 
rose  back  of  where  Santa  Cruz  now  stands.  Sir  Francis  Drake  made  men- 
tion of  the  place  and  so  did  Viscaino,  but  it  was  not  until  1791  that  Padres 
Salazar  and  Lopez  established  the  Mission  of  the  Holy  Cross.  If  we  should 
travel  "due  east"  — 
of  Santa  Cruz,  we 
would  pass  say 
seventy-five  miles 
south  of  St.  Louis, 
would  strike  St. 
Vincent,  the 
extreme 
southern 
point 


Portugal, 
then    south 
of  Seville, 
and    but    a 
little    north   of 
Gibraltar,    while 
Nice   and    Cannes 
and   Mentone  and 
all  the  famous  Ri- 
viera   would    lie 
four  hundred  miles  to  the  north  of  the  direct  line  pursued. 

Beyond  where  the  town  lies  under  the  shelter  of  the  mountains  and 
stretches  towards  the  sea,  the  wide  blue  Pacific  expands.  Toward  the 
north  the  shore  line  rises  into  cliffs,  where  the  breakers  have  worn  caves 
and  natural  archways,  into  which  the  long  rollers  crash  with  reverberant 
boom  and  the  lashings  of  spray.  To  the  south,  where  the  sightly  and 
homelike  Sea  Beach  Hotel  stands  in  its  bankings  of  flowers,  the  shelving 
whi^e  beach  of  the  bay  sweeps  like  the  curved  blade  of  a  scimiter. 


ON  THE  BEACH  AT  SANTA  CRUZ. 


THE   DEL   MONTE.  19 1) 

"And  now  for  Del  Monte,"  exclaimed  the  Girl.     "What  times  we'll  have   Ah! 

f  Monte,  at  last. 

there! — why,  I  ve  been  wanting  to  see  it  for  years. 

'•  There  is  no  danger  of  our  discounting  your  enjoyment  by  talking  of 
it,"  said  the  Colonel ;  "it  will  be  all  that  you  expect.  We  could  have  come 
down  here  via  Carnadero  and  the  Canon  of  the  Pajaro  had  we  been  disposed 
to  have  missed  Santa  Cruz." 

"Well,  it's  near  Monterey,  isn't  it?"  I  asked. 

"Just  a  mile,"  was  the  reply,  "and  a  strange  old  town  it  is,  founded  by  old  town  of 
the  Spanish  long  before  Shakespeare  wrote.  It  became  the  birthplace  of 
the  commonwealth  of  California.  The  old  mission,  which  stands  near  by, 
was  established  in  1770.  Here  Commodore  Jones  planted  the  American 
flag  in  1842,  and  Fremont  was  succeeded  by  Commodore  Sloat  in  1846. 
But  however  quaint  and  interesting  the  old  town  is,  the  modern  art  which 
has  fashioned  the  great  pleasure-ground  there  has  given  it  more  fame.  The 
ocean  does  not  bite  deeply  into  the  land.  The  great  Del  Monte  stands  in  a 
grove  of  ancient  oaks  but  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  surf-line.  North-  Thecedarsand 
ward  the  splendid  beach  spreads,  affording  a  drive  equal  to  that  at  Galves- 
ton.  To  the  south  and  west,  where  the  peninsula  reaches  out,  the  coast  is 
wild  and  rocky,  On  the  peninsula  the  Santa  Lucia  Mountains  find  their 
northern  terminus,  and  here  the  pines  grow,  a  species  resembling  the  cedars 
of  Lebanon.  In  the  summer  the  soft  trade  winds  blow  in  from  the  far 
northern  ice  fields,  tempered  by  the  Japan  current,  which  brings  the  balm  of 
Asia  to  our  shores.  In  the  winter  the  winds  come  from  the  south,  with 
their  tropic  heats  cooled  by  the  great  expanse  of  sea  over  which  they 
travel." 

"But  Del  Monte,  and  its  gardens  and  drives!"  exclaimed  the  Girl, 
impatiently. 

"Oh,  those  are  things  you  must  see  to  appreciate,"  was  the  suave  reply. 

If  you  care  to  get  at  the  old  Spanish  significance  of  the  name  of  the   Local 
Hotel  Del  Monte  you  will  find  it  means  "  Hotel  of  the  Forest."    It  was  very  ofthename. 
wise  to  preserve  in  its  nomenclature  the  characteristics  of  the  place,  for 
the  oaks  and    pines  of    incalculable    age,    among  which  it  is  set,  possess 
a  perennial    charm.      Gnarled    and    distorted,   voluptuous   with    abundant 
glaucous  foliage,  grotesque  in  whimsical  distortion,  or  aggressive  in  their 
serene  and   implacable  individuality,  the   hoary  oaks  cluster  thick,  while   Ancient  oaks 
among  them   are  the  dignified,  symmetrical  and   shadowy  pines,  with  the   pines"11 
exudations  of  their  balsam,  the  fragrance  of  their  breath  and  the  crooning 
of  their    boughs,  in  whose   harp-like  melody  the  storm  and   the  summer 
zephyr  sound  their  requiem  or  their  vesper  hymn.     The  great  hotel,  where 
five  hundred  guests  may  find  a  home,  stands  in  the  midst  of  a  garden  of  a 
hundred  and  twenty-six  acres — a  garden  that  would  experience  no  lessened 
dignity  in  a  competition  with  those  of  Kew  or  Kensington.     All  the  year 


THROUGH   THE   SALINAS.  201 

round  myriads  of  flowers  bloom  and  run  riot  in  the  glory  of  color  and  Theiuxuriance 
fragrance.     From  every  country  in  the  world  and  every  tropic  they  have 
been   gathered,  and  scientific   hybridization   in  the  extensive  propagating 
houses  has  evolved  unique  varieties  of  great  beauty. 

What  a  delight  it  all  was  !     How  we  lost  ourselves  in  the  cypress  maze,   The  maze,  the 
roamed  on   the  Laguna  del   Rey,  or  "Lake  of  the  King;"  studied  with  great d^ivlhe 
renewed  interest  the  hundreds  of  curious  fauna  that  grow  in  the  Arizona 
garden,  reveled  in  the  sylvan  delights  of  the  seventeen-mile  drive,  where 
every  phase  of  scenic  effect  reveals  itself ;  bathed  in  the  breakers  on  the 
beach  or  in  the  great  pools  of  the  enclosed,  glass-covered,  palm-decorated 
bathhouse.     The  days  drifted  by  in   the  enjoyment  of  it  all,   until  there 
came  the  poignant  realization  that  there  was  a  limit  to  our  time,  and  we 
left  it  regretfully  and  with  many  inward    promises   chat  we  should  come 
again. 

Now  down  through  the  Salinas  Valley  our  way  led,  the  molten  thread  Southward  by 

r      ,  ,      ,  „_,.  ,  .  the  Salinas. 

of  the  river  near  by  most  of  the  time.  The  names  of  the  stations  were 
imbued  with  the  euphony  of  their  Spanish  derivation  that  gave  a  liquid 
softness  to  their  pronunciation,  even  in  the  speech  of  the  brakeman  who 
bawled  them  in  at  the  car  door. 

"This  means   'The   Pass  of   the  Oaks,'"    the   Colonel    said,  when   the   Paso  del  Robies 
brakeman  called  "Paso  del  Robies,"  shortly  after  he  had  pointed  out  the  springs, 
old  Mission  of  San  Miguel.     "  It  is  a  good  place  to  come  to,"  he  added, 
pointing  up  to  the -great  hotel  in  its  setting  of  encompassing  lawn.     The 
hot  sulphur  and  mud  baths  here  have  a  world-wide  fame,  and  for  the  cure 
of  rheumatism  and  a  score  of  other  diseases  are  unsurpassed.    Indeed,  this 
is  a  region  of  springs.     There  is  one  of  sand  not  far,  off  with  a  temperature 
of  one  hundred  and  forty-six  degrees,  soda  and  white  sulphur,  and  an  iron 
or  chalybeate  spring. 

"And  there  are  plenty  of  things  to  interest  a  well  person,  too,"  chimed   Things  to  be 

i        /-,  ,,  T  ,    •  seen  near  by. 

in  the  Growler.  "It  is  any  easy  drive  over  to  Morro  Bay,  on  the  coast. 
The  Adelaide  quicksilver  mines  are  near  ;  so,  too,  are  the  Painted  Rocks,  the 
trout  fishing  of  Santa  Rosa  creek,  the  great  prune  orchards,  the  glens  and 
canons  of  the  mountains,  the  diversified  landscape  of  the  ranches  and  the 
oak-clad  valleys  and  hillsides  that  stretch  away  in  every  direction." 

"This  whole  country  is  Nature's  wonderland,"  said  the  Colonel,  as  we  overthe 
stood  on  the  rear  platform  of  the  car,  approaching  San  Luis  Obispo.     The   sang£u\s° 
line  is  another  marvelous  piece   of  railway  construction   as  it   scales  the 
Santa  Lucia  Range.     Within  a  few  miles  there  are  seven  tunnels,  the  longest 
a  mile  and  a  quarter.    Swinging  down  from  the  last  declivity  the  road  makes 
a  ten  per  cent  curve  with  a  grade  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  to  the  mile. 
The  climb  over  these  heights  is  of  continuous  interest.     The  clouds  seem  not 
far  off,  and  below,  far,  far  down  in  the  depths  of  green  canons,  or  upon  the 


202 


THROUGH    STORYLAND   TO   SUNSET   SEAS. 


Pismo  Beach 
and  other 
wouders. 


A  spread  for 
any  one. 


Treasures  of 
the  hills. 


distant  hillsides,  one  sees  the  white  trail  of  the  old  stage  road  winding  ser- 
pent-like. 

"San  Luis  is  a  place  to  be  remembered,"  the  Colonel  continued,  -'per- 
haps not  because  it  is  a  pretty  town  or  the  seat  of  the  old  mission  merely, 
but  because  of  all  its  environments.  Twenty  miles  away,  through  the  love- 
liest of  mountain  drives — where  you  see  ^ ~""~~---^  flowing 

gas  and- sulphur  wells,  or  mountains  of 
bituminous  rock  so   skillfully  com- 
pounded in 
the  labora- 
tory of  na- 
ture that  it 
only    needs 


to  be 
heated 
\  and  laid 
to  make 
a   perfect 
street- 
paving — 
and  you 
come    t  o 
Pismo 

Beach,  the  most  magnificent  sweep  of  sand  in  the  world,  twenty  miles  long, 
hundreds  of  feet  wide  and  hard  as  a  floor." 

"And  what  clams  one  can  gather  there,"  said  the  Growler,  with  a  remi- 
niscent twinkle  in  his  eye.  "  Each  tide  brings  in  thousands  of  them,  of  a 
flavor  I  have  never  known  equaled.  Some  day  great  summer  resorts  will 
make  this  beach  known  to  every  lover  of  the  sea." 

"  Why,  you  can  find  anything  in  these  hills,"  continued  the  Growler. 
"  Cinnabar,  quicksilver,  silica,  chromium,  asphaltum,  gold,  silver,  irpn,  cop- 


ON   THE  SHORE   LINE  AND   DRIVE   AT    DEL   MONTE. 


SANTA   BARBARA. 


203 


per,  coal  and  alabaster.  Vast  fortunes  are  awaiting  development.  Now,  if 
I  was  younger  !  " 

"Younger,"  said  the  Girl  ;  "why,  you  dear  old  creature,  I  wouldn't  want 
you  to  be  a  day  younger/" 

"  No,  I  suppose  not,"  replied  the  Growler,  with  a  pretense  of  sadness. 

The  Southern  Pacific  line  is  being  built  through  from  San  Luis  to  join 
the  Santa  Barbara  division.  Already  it  is  some  thirty  or  forty  miles  beyond, 
but  one  can  take  the  Pacific  Coast  Railway,  which  extends  from  San  Luis  to 
Los  Olivos,  through  a  region  of  romantic  beauty,  and  at  Los  Olivos  board  By  coast  line 

.......  .  and  stage  to 

a  stage  for  a  ride  of  forty  miles  across  the  mountains  to  Santa  Barbara,   santa  Barbara. 

The  drive  is  one  to  be  made  by  every  tourist,  for  it  is  over  the  rugged 

summits  of  the  mountains,  with  visions  of  the  far  Pacific  and  its  jewel-like 

islands,  of  wooded  hillsides  and  fertile  valleys  in  between.     And  when  the 

coach  rolls  into  Santa  Barbara  there  is  the  final  reward  of  an  unrivaled 

and  a  splendid  scene.     Three  hundred  and  fifty  years  of  romance  and  the 

pathos   of    many    life    tragedies  cling  about    this   lovely   spot,  where  now 

handsome  modern  homes  and  wide  paved  streets  and  busy  shops  hem  in 

the  great  gray  mission,  where  the  cowled  monks  walk  the  stone  corridors 


SAN   LUIS  OBISPO. 


with  whispering  footsteps  and  guard  with  zealous  care  their  prim  garden   ThisiittieJ.it 

TT  a  •  j    <.u  •       of  paradist  at 

where  no  woman  dare  enter.  Here  flowers  not  everywhere,  and  there  is  a glance, 
music  that  is  echoed  from  bower-ensconsed  villas  to  rakish  yachts  and 
white  men-of-war  that  lie  at  anchor  in  the  offing.  The  annual  average 
temperature  is  72°  and  neither  summer  sun  nor  winter  chill  ever  comes 
to  enervate  or  affright  the  happy  mortal  who  tarries  here  beneath  the 
embrace  of  the  Santa  Ynez. 


AT   THE  SANTA   BARI'.ARA 


AND    SHE    SAID    "  YES. 


205 


Beyond  here  on  our  way  to  Saugus  the  track  follows  close  to  the  sea-line 
for  miles  and  miles — carved  now  and  again  out  of  the  very  face  of  the  rocky 
bluff  at  whose  feet  the  green  surges  beat  and  churn  themselves  into  foam. 
Then  a  little  way  and  we  come  to  places  where  pure  bitumen  oozes  from  the 
ground,  and  further  on  run  for  an  hour  or  more  through  an  orchard-dotted 
valley,  where  every  landscape  that  meets  the  eye  is  a  pastoral  miniature,  as  By  the  sea  to 
perfect  as  color  and  grouping  and  the  fertile  master-mind  can  make  it. 
And  when  we  catch  the  train  at  Saugus  and  the  porter  disposes  the  luggage 
in  our  section  in  the  New  Orleans  car,  and  our  faces  are  turned  toward  the 
east  once  more,  the  Girl  looks  out  of  the  window  with  something  of  sadness 
as  she  says  : 

"It  has  all  been  like  a  pleasant  dream,  and — and  Tack  and  I  will  take  it   Not  the  least 

important 

all  over  again  some  day,  won  t  we?  result  of  the 

And  I  squeezed  the  dear  Girl's  hand  a  little  bit  harder  than  need  be, 
perhaps,  and  whispered   "On  our  wedding  trip." 


